Munich 2024 Day 5: Men's singles predictions ft. Alexander Zverev vs Cristian Garin | BMW Open
Players will fight for a spot in the semifinals on Day 5 of the BMW Open in Munich on Friday.
Two-time defending champion Holger Rune continued his impressive run at the venue with yet another win. Top seed Alexander Zverev made it to the quarterfinals, along with Taylor Fritz.
Dominik Koepfer and Alexander Shevchenko were the only seeded players who failed to reach the quarterfinals. All the top six seeds have made the cut, with former champion Cristian Garin and qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler being the other two players.
The competition is only getting heated as the field gets whittled down further and further. Here's a look at the predictions for most of the matches lined up on Day 5 of the BMW Open:
#1 - Alexander Zverev vs Cristian Garin
Zverev received a bye into the second round as the top seed at the BMW Open. He faced Jurij Rodionov for a spot in the last eight and defeated him 7-6 (3), 6-2. The German didn't lose his serve even once during the match.
Garin downed seventh seed Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (3), 6-3 in his opener here. He then fought past Alex Michelsen 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-1 to reach his second quarterfinal of the season.
Zverev and Garin have faced off twice before and both of those matches were on clay. The latter won their very first encounter at the 2019 BMW Open en route to the title.
Zverev avenged that loss three years later at the 2022 Italian Open. He's currently in much better form than Garin and has thrice as many wins as him this year. The German will be favored to make it through this clash.
Predicted winner: Alexander Zverev
#2 - Holger Rune vs Marc-Andrea Huesler
Rune received a first-round bye as well as the second seed here. He took on Daniel Elahi Galan in the second round and defeated him 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the BMW Open. He's the two-time defending champion and extended his unbeaten run to 10 matches at the venue.
Huesler came through the qualifying rounds and then scored a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 comeback win over Marko Topo in the first round. He then faced another player from the host country, Yannick Hanfmann, in the second round and bested him 6-2, 6-4.
Huesler has now reached his first quarterfinal at the ATP level since his triumph at the 2022 Sofia Open. He was ranked as high as No. 47 over a year ago. However, he couldn't sustain his level and is currently ranked at No. 223.
Huesler leads Rune 2-1 in the head-to-head. The latter won their most recent encounter at the 2023 Open Sud de France in straight sets. The Swiss won their prior two meetings, including one on clay.
It's quite rare for Huesler to make a main draw appearance at the ATP level these days, so he'll be keen to capitalize on this opportunity. However, Rune has only improved since his previous loss to the Swiss and has all the necessary tactics to deal with him this time.
Predicted winner: Holger Rune
#3 - Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jan-Lennard Struff
After a first-round bye, Struff took on Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. The latter had reached the final of the last two editions of the BMW Open. The German came out on top with a 7-6 (0), 6-4 win.
Auger-Aliassime saved a match point over the course of his 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) win over Maximilian Marterer, which lasted over three hours. He had an easier time in the second round as he beat Taro Daniel 6-3, 6-2.
Auger-Aliassime leads Struff 2-1 in the head-to-head, though all of their previous matches were on hardcourts. Both players have had an average year thus far. The Canadian has compiled an 11-9 record, while Struff has an equal number of wins and losses at nine each.
This match is a bit of a toss-up given their form. Struff had a memorable clay swing last year as he reached the final of the Madrid Open. Auger-Aliassime has had some great results on the surface in the past as well.
Auger-Aliassime has won his last two matches against Struff. He'll also be feeling more confident after how he dug deep to make it through the first round. This could be the start of a much-needed resurgence for the Canadian, provided he maintains his current level.
Pick: Felix Auger-Aliassime