Fabio Fognini The Top Seed at ATP Gstaad
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The ATP 250 in Gstaad is played on clay and will feature a host of European and South American players vying for the title. Here is your full preview, with predictions.
Top Half:
The champion of Bastad, Fabio Fognini, should face off with the in-form Yannick Hanfmann in a challenging round 2 match. Hanfmann has to get past fellow qualifier Jurgen Zopp first. I’ll pick Hanfmann in an upset as Fognini, if he plays, should be fatigued after winning Bastad. I also have Joao Sousa falling in an upset against qualifier Facundo Bagnis, with Bagnis defeating Nicolas Almagro or Marc-Andrea Huesler in the second round. Hanfmann should emerge from the section.
Andrey Rublev should be good enough to get past Matteo Berrettini (or Radu Albot) in round 2, with Guido Pella a player in great form in Umag, defeating Paolo Lorenzi before facing off with countryman Federico Delbonis (or Feliciano Lopez) in round 2. Delbonis is my pick to win the section with Pella likely fatigued.
Embed from Getty ImagesBottom Half:
Presuming he’s fit Roberto Bautista Agut should defeat Jaume Munar or Adrian Menendez-Maceiras to reach the quarterfinals. I have him facing Taro Daniel that stage, as Daniel should get past a struggling Elias Ymer and the Guillermo Garcia-Lopez/Roberto Carballes Baena winner. RBA is the favorite in this section.
Embed from Getty ImagesBorna Coric will begin against Laslo Djere or Denis Istomin, Coric has been pedestrian on clay this year and Djere could trouble him. Robin Haase is playing well and should defeat Viktor Galovic, and the Felix Auger-Aliassime/Guido Andreozzi in the second round. Haase over Coric is my pick for this section.
Embed from Getty ImagesPredictions
Semis
Delbonis d. Hanfmann
Haase d. Bautista Agut
I’ll back Robin Haase to lift the trophy this week in what should be a week for dark horses to post solid results on the clay.
Final
Haase d. Delbonis
