Vienna 2022: Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Erste Bank Open
Match Details
Fixture: (5) Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe.
Tournament: Erste Bank Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Vienna, Austria.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €2,349,180.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe preview
Top 20 players Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe are set to clash in the first round of the 2022 Erste Bank Open.
Hurkacz started the season by leading Poland to the semifinals of the ATP Cup but crashed out in the second round of the Australian Open. His next best result was reaching the semifinals in Dubai and Miami. Carlos Alcaraz ended his title defense in the latter.
The Pole made consecutive quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and Madrid before making it to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time. He won his first title of the year at the Halle Open but fell in the opening round at Wimbledon. He then reached his second final of the year at the Canadian Open, where he lost to Pablo Carreno Busta.
The 25-year-old failed to impress at the US Open, going out in the second round. Since then, he has reached the semifinals of the Moselle Open and the quarterfinals of the Astana Open. At last week's European Open, he lost to Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals despite holding multiple match points.
Tiafoe had a slow start to the season and didn't really get going until the Miami Open, where he reached the fourth round. He then reached the quarterfinals in Houston and his first final of the year at the Estoril Open, where he lost to Sebastian Baez.
The American made frequent early exits after that and it wasn't until Wimbledon that he would win consecutive matches. Tiafoe made it to the fourth round of the All England Club, losing to David Goffin in five sets. He continued his good run of form in Atlanta, where he made it to the semifinals. The following week, he reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open.
The 24-year-old lost in the second round of the Masters 1000 tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. He then helped Team World win the Laver Cup and proceeded to his second final of the year at the Japan Open. At last week's Stockholm Open, he lost to Emil Ruusuvuori in the quarterfinals.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head
The two have split their previous four meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 2-2. Hurkacz won their last encounter at the 2021 Indian Wells Masters in straight sets.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe prediction
Both players lost in the quarterfinals of their respective events last week. For Hurkacz, it was a tough loss to handle as he lost from a winning position. Tiafoe, on the other hand, suffered a lopsided defeat.
Hurkacz will be relying on his serve to get through yet again. He's ranked fourth on the ATP tour this year when it comes to service games won. Despite a big serve, he fell short last week. Tiafoe didn't come up with a single break point opportunity in his loss to Ruusuvuori last week, whose serve isn't as good as the Pole's.
The American will have his task cut out for him during the return games. If Tiafoe competes as he did during his previous defeat, Hurkacz won't be threatened at all. But if he's able to raise his level, he might make it a competitive contest. It's likely to be an evenly contested battle and if it goes down to the wire, Tiafoe will have the edge to come out on top.
Pick: Frances Tiafoe to win in three sets.