Munich R1 previews and predictions: Del Potro vs. Brown, Zverev vs. Jaziri

Juan Martin Del Potro will get his fourth tournament of the season underway when he takes the court against Dustin Brown on Tuesday in Munich. Alexander Zverev and Malek Jaziri are also in first-round action.

(WC) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Dustin Brown

Del Potro and Brown will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they collide in an intriguing first-round battle at the BMW Open on Tuesday. Thus continues Del Potro’s 2016 comeback, which features three tournaments so far. The Argentine, who missed almost all of last season with recurring wrist issues, returned in Delray Beach and won three matches all in straight sets before losing to Sam Querrey in the semifinals. He reached the second round in both Indian Wells (lost to Tomas Berdych) and Miami (lost to lucky loser Horacio Zeballos, who replaced Roger Federer).

Whereas Del Potro skipped the first three weeks of April by his own choosing, Brown has been out of action against his will since early March. The German, who has been dealing with a wrist injury of his own, has not played an ATP event since blowing a set and 3-0 lead against Richard Gasquet in the Montpellier semifinals more than two months ago. Brown went back to the Challenger circuit thereafter and compiled a modest 3-3 record in three tournaments. The world No. 106 is likely to show signs of rust on a surface that he clearly does not love, so Del Potro should cruise without too much trouble.

Pick: Del Potro in 2

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Malek Jaziri vs. (8) Alexander Zverev

Zverev and Jaziri will be squaring of for the second time in their careers and for the second time in as many weeks. They just faced each other in the Barcelona third round, with Jaziri pulling off a 7-6(5), 6-4 upset. Staring at an extremely favorable draw, Zverev saw a golden opportunity to take his 2016 campaign to new heights evaporate in a flash. Still, it has been a stellar season for the 19-year-old German. He boasts 13 match victories, including three in both Montpellier and Indian Wells.

Jaziri is up to a career-high ranking of No. 64 in the world following his quarterfinal performance in Barcelona, where he ended up losing to Benoit Paire in a tight three-setter. The Tunisian’s success came just about out of nowhere, as he had previously been 2-7 at the ATP level in 2016. Showcasing the consistency that will be required to beat Zverev two times in six days may be too much to ask for Jaziri. Moreover, Zverev has won his opening match in seven of eight tournaments this year–seven in a row since falling to Andy Murray in the Australian Open first round.

Pick: Zverev in 2

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