Hamburg European Open 2022: Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier
Date: July 18, 2022
Tournament: Hamburg European Open
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €1,770,865
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier preview
World No. 30 Francisco Cerundolo will square off against World No. 56 Daniel Altmaier in the first round of the Hamburg European Open. He's had a good season so far, with 24 wins from 38 matches and title-winning runs at the ATP Santa Cruz Challenger and Nordea Open in Sweden.
Cerundolo was handed a stern challenge of battling past Rafael Nadal in the first round at Wimbledon. While he managed to take a set of the 22-time Major winner, he eventually bowed out in four.
The 23-year-old was rewarded for his diligent work all season at the Nordea Open. He powered his way into the finals with wins over Casper Ruud, Aslan Karatsev and Pablo Carreno Busta. He dominated fellow Argentinian Sebastian Baez in the summit clash to pick up his first ever ATP 250 title.
Fantastic performance from Francisco Cerundolo, who beats Sebastian Baez 7-6, 6-2 and claims his maiden title at the ATP 250 in Bastad.
Unbelievable week for Fran! Next week he'll be #30 in the ranking and #20 in the Race.
Very emotional moment ❤️🇦🇷🏆
Congrats @FranCerundolo https://t.co/REL0k4NlM3
On the other hand, Daniel Altmaier has 16 wins from 37 matches this season. He finished runner-up at the ATP Phoenix Challenger in March and won the Heilbronn Challenger in May.
The German is still finding his feet on the main tour, having made first-round exits from all three Majors this year. Quarterfinal runs at the Maharashtra Open and Mallorca Championships remain his noteworthy performances.
The 23-year-old will be entering Hamburg on the back of a first-round exit at the Nordea Open and will be determined to put up a strong display in his home country.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier head-to-head
Cerundolo and Altmaier have never faced each other. Their head-to-head is locked at 0-0.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Francisco Cerundolo vs Daniel Altmaier prediction
While this will be their first meeting on the main tour, the duo have locked horns four times on the challenger series circuit, with Altmaier winning three times. However, considering their results this season and form at the moment, Cerundolo will be the favorite to win this bout.
The Argentine seems to have found new vigor about his game at the moment and will be high on confidence after capping off the biggest win of his career last week. He has a playing style which is naturally suited to the clay courts and is known for his explosive groundstrokes, especially from the forehand wing. Cerundolo has been playing quite aggressively lately and is improving with every match.
Altmaier has caused a lot of problems for Cerundolo with his accurate serve in their previous meetings. He likes to control points from the baseline and doesn't shy away from lung-busting rallies. The German can also pull the trigger with his majestic one-handed backhand, which makes for an engrossing contest as Cerundolo's crosscourt forehand has won him maximum points in recent matches.
Altmaier will need to show his defensive skills and disrupt the Argentine's rhythm to have a chance at progressing to the second round. Cerundolo has only dropped one set in his last five matches on clay and seems to be in complete control of his game at the moment. He should be able to overpower the German and continue his rich vein of form at the Hamburg Open.
Pick: Cerundolo to win in three sets.