Home Hero Stan Wawrinka Hopes to Capture The 2018 Geneva Open
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The Geneva Open, an ATP 250 on clay in Switzerland, is one of two final tuneups before Roland Garros, this small tour stop features veterans Sam Querrey, Fabio Fognini, Stan Wawrinka, and David Ferrer as the top four seeds. Here is your full preview with predictions.
Top Half:
Sam Querrey is in poor form but features in a section that features 2 qualifiers, Steve Johnson/Marius Copil, Guido Pella, and Jiri Vesely, all of whom are struggling. I’ll back Pella over Querrey with Johnson reaching the quarters with wins over Copil, and a qualifier. Vesely is currently in a challenger final and should be fatigued. Pella over Johnson is my quarterfinal pick.
The winner of Jared Donaldson/Denis Istomin will snap a long losing streak, then face home favorite Stan Wawrinka in round 2. With Wawrinka still slowly returning from injury, he should fall to Albert Ramos in the quarterfinals. Ramos needs to defeat Marton Fucsovics, then Frances Tiafoe/Ryan Harrison. Tiafoe has had a good clay season, but Ramos is more accomplished on the surface overall.
Bottom Half:
Rome quarterfinalist Fabio Fognini is a heavy favorite to win his section, as Marcos Baghdatis/qualifier, and Mischa Zverev is his likely path. Zverev should defeat Mirza Basic and Tennys Sandgren/Andreas Haider-Maurer but Fognini is the strongest player by far in this group, and he’s in the best form.
David Ferrer will begin against Peter Gojowczyk/Ivo Karlovic, I have him winning that before falling to Marco Cecchinato in the quarters. Cecchinato has found form on clay this season and should beat countryman Andreas Seppi, then Florian Mayer/qualifier before edging Ferrer in the quarters.
Predictions
Semis
Ramos d. Pella
Fognini d. Cecchinato
Semifinal #2 should be an all-Italian affair with Fognini grabbing the win, Spain’s Ramos looks set to reach the final as well.
Final
Fognini d. Ramos
Fognini should triumph ahead of Paris if he can back up his Rome results.
