Antwerp 2022: Dominic Thiem vs Francisco Cerundolo preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | European Open
Match Details
Fixture: (PR) Dominic Thiem vs (6) Francisco Cerundolo
Date: October 20, 2022
Tournament: European Open 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Antwerp, Belgium
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: €648,130
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Dominic Thiem vs Francisco Cerundolo preview
Dominic Thiem will face sixth seed Francisco Cerundolo in the Round of 16 of the European Open on Thursday.
Thiem is showing signs of returning to the kind of form he had a few years back. The Austrian has produced some promising performances lately, most recently reaching the semifinals of the Gijon Open. Thiem defeated Joao Sousa, Marcos Giron and Francisco Cerundolo to reach the final four, where he lost to eventual champion Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
He then entered the European Open in Antwerp using a protected ranking and faced Michael Geerts in the first round. He thrashed the Belgian 6-4, 6-0 to seal his place in the Round of 16 of the ATP 250 tournament.
Cerundolo has produced some promising performances so far this season, winning his maiden career singles title at the Nordea Open. He also reached his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal at the Miami Masters. The Argentine's performances saw him enter the top 30 of the ATP rankings.
However, Cerundolo's form has suffered a dip in recent months, suffering successive opening-round exits at the Canadian Open, the Western & Southern Open, the US Open and the Astana Open. He then reached the quarterfinals of the Gijon Open before losing to Dominic Thiem.
Cerundolo was seeded sixth at the European Open in Antwerp and booked his place in the second round by beating Marc-Andrea Huesler 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3.
Dominic Thiem vs Francisco Cerundolo head-to-head
Thiem leads 1-0 in the head-to-head against Cerundolo, having beaten him 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Gijon Open last week.
Dominic Thiem vs Francisco Cerundolo odds
Odds will be updated when available.
Dominic Thiem vs Francisco Cerundolo prediction
Thiem will enter the match as the favorite to win given his recent run of form. The Austrian is showing signs of a resurgence and will be eager to have a good run at the European Open.
Thiem plays aggressively from the baseline, but deploys calculated aggression and constructs his points well. He has a solid first serve and his one-handed backhand is still among the best in the game at present. Thiem's defensive skills will also come in very handy against the Argentine.
Cerundolo has a pretty effective first serve but his second serve is a liability and makes him prone to double-faults. The Argentine has an adventurous style and hits his shots with a lot of power, which also leads to him leaking unforced errors in crucial moments.
Thiem looks in good touch at the moment and should be able to defeat the under-performing Cerundolo to book his place in the quarterfinals of the European Open.
Pick: Thiem to win in straight sets.