Queen's Club 2023: Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick | Cinch Championships
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
Tournament: Cinch Championships 2023.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,195,175.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles preview
World No. 8 Taylor Fritz will square off against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round of the 2023 Cinch Championships.
Following a third-round exit from the French Open, Fritz's first tournament of the grass season was the Boss Open. After an opening-round bye, he was up against Aslan Karatsev in the second round. The American claimed a closely contested first set via a tie-break.
A single break of serve in the second set sealed the match in Fritz's favor, making it to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win. The 25-year-old faced Marton Fucsovics in the last eight. The American was favored to win the contest but ended up losing 6-4, 7-5.
Zapata Miralles blew a two-set lead as he went on to lose his first-round match against Diego Schwartzman at the French Open in five sets. The Spaniard hasn't competed since the crushing defeat. As he gets ready to launch his grass season, his prior results on the surface paint a gloomy picture.
Zapata Miralles is yet to win a main draw match on grass. While he successfully came through the qualifying rounds to seal his spot in the Wimbledon main draw, he lost in the first round on both occasions.
Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles head-to-head
Zapata Miralles lead Fritz 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 French Open in four sets.
Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Fritz vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles prediction
With a game that's suited more for clay, it's no surprise to see Zapata Miralles struggle against quality opposition on grass. He'll have no time to adjust against Fritz, who's quite a capable player on the surface.
The American's start to the grass swing has been a little bumpy. His campaign at the Boss Open ended prematurely by his standards. During his loss against Fucsovics, he couldn't break his opponent's serve even once and was able to muster just a single break point opportunity.
Zapata Miralles is capable of adjusting his game slightly to meet the demands of playing on grass. However, it'll be a tall order for him to turn things around completely against a player like Fritz. The American's a pretty good server, and his forehand does heavy damage on the quick grass.
While Zapata Miralles won their prior contest, it was on clay, his strongest surface. Given the disparity in their achievements on grass, Fritz will be the overwhelming favorite to win this showdown.
Pick: Taylor Fritz to win in straight sets.