Although we are in between Masters 1000 events, another big week on the clay-court swing is taking place in Barcelona and Belgrade. Rafael Nadal is still on the sidelines, but consider the list of players in action: Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaaz, and many more. Djokovic is seeking a third title at home in Belgrade, while Tsitsipas hopes to build on his second straight Monte-Carlo title as he bids for another appearance in the Barcelona final.
Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Surface: Clay
Points: 500
Prize money: 2,661,825 Euros
Top seed: Stefanos Tsitsipas
2021 champion: Rafael Nadal (not playing)
Draw analysis: A projected quarterfinal in Monte-Carlo between Djokovic and Alcaraz never happened—not even close. Both players lost their opening matches. Now the Barcelona draw has produced a potential quarterfinal showdown between Alcaraz and Tsitsipas. Will it happen? It should, but then again nothing about the top section of the Monte-Carlo bracket suggested that anyone or anything would stop a Djokovic-Alcaraz meeting. In Barcelona the only apparent roadblock is Grigor Dimitrov, who reached the Monte-Carlo semifinals and could face Tsitsipas in the third round. Elsewhere in the top half, Cameron Norrie and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are part of a much weaker quarter that has already been vacated by an injured Roberto Bautista Agut.
Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud are the top seeds on the other side of the draw and both are looking to bounce back from early exits in Monte-Carlo. The Canadian’s slump continued with an immediate loss to Lorenzo Musetti, while the Norwegian went down to Dimitrov during third-round action. Auger-Aliassime likely faces another tough opener in Barcelona in the form of Sebastian Korda and they are part of a section that also includes Musetti and Diego Schwartzman. Ruud could be challenged early by Emil Ruusuvuori and Pablo Carreno Busta.
Hot: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz, Grigor Dimitrov, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Cold: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Dominic Thiem, Ilya Ivashka, Benoit Paire, Ugo Humbert, Feliciano Lopez
Quarterfinal predictions: Stefanos Tsitsipas over Carlos Alcaraz, Cameron Norrie over Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Diego Schwartzman over Sebastian Korda, and Pablo Carreno Busta over Emil Ruusuvuori
Semifinals: Tsitsipas over Norrie and Schwartzman over Carreno Busta
Final: Tsitsipas over Schwartzman
Serbia Open
Where: Belgrade, Serbia
Surface: Clay
Points: 250
Prize money: 534,555 Euros
Top seed: Novak Djokovic
2021 champion: Matteo Berrettini (not playing)
Draw analysis: Djokovic surely can’t wait to play this week, and not just because he is at home in Belgrade. The top-ranked Serb has participated in only two tournaments this year and he needs matches under his belt in the worst way heading into Roland Garros because he played in a grand total of just four matches across those two events. Djokovic may not last much longer in Belgrade because his draw is not a great one. His first two matchups could come against fellow Serbs: clay-court specialist Laslo Djere and a red-hot Miomir Kecmanovic. Another Serb—Filip Krajinovic—is a possible semifinal foe, although Krajinovic will likely have his hands full with Marrakech champion David Goffin in round one. A Kecmanovic vs. Dominic Thiem showdown is possible in the second round.
The bottom half is far less intriguing. That being said, Cristian Garin vs. Holger Rune is a stellar first-round matchup and it will be interesting to see if Rublev and Aslan Karatsev can pick up some much-needed momentum. Karatsev reached the Belgrade final last spring but has struggled so far in 2022. Rublev is coming off an early loss in Monte-Carlo, where he was defending runner-up points. Such vulnerability could leave the door open for the likes of Garin, Rune, Fabio Fognini, or Alejandro Tabilo.
Hot: Miomir Kecmanovic, Holger Rune
Cold: Novak Djokovic, Karen Khachanov, Cristian Garin, Aljaz Bedene
Quarterfinal predictions: Miomir Kecmanovic over Novak Djokovic, David Goffin over Karen Khachanov, Alejandro Tabilo over Fabio Fognini, and Andrey Rublev over Cristian Garin
Semifinals: Kecmanovic over Goffin and Tabilo over Rublev
Final: Kecmanovic over Tabilo
who ya got?
Can’t call Thiem cold since he hasn’t played, he’s in Belgrade too, not Barca.
Barca:
Hot: Tsitsipas, Martinez, Coria, Dimitrov, Munar, Schwartzman, Musetti, Davidovich Fokina, Korda.
Cold: Giron, Rinderknech, Kwon, Paire, Mannarino, Humbert, Grenier, Auger-Aliassime, Cressy, Lopez.
QF: Alcaraz over Tsitsipas, Norrie over Andujar, Schwartzman over Korda, Ruud over Carreno-Busta
SF: Alcaraz over Norrie, Ruud over Schwartzman
F: Alcaraz over Ruud
Thiem hasn’t won a match in a year
he is FROZEN
Cause he hasn’t played, oh my!
Gotta give Djokovic more than 2 events before he can be called cold.
Belgrade:
Hot: Djere, Kecmanovic, Goffin, Rune.
Cold: Ymer, Cecchinato, Karatsev, Laaksonen.
QF: Kecmanovic over Djokovic, Goffin over Khachanov, Fognini over Otte, Rublev over Rune
SF: Kecmanovic over Goffin, Rublev over Fognini
F: Kecmanovic over Rublev
Oh really? How about Dubai?
I did say Dubai.
PS Garin is far from cold, he just won 3 matches in Houston remember.
Garin is freezing
LOL ok, he just beat a red hot Fritz, but w/e you say.
Tsitsipas was freezing until last week
Ruud to beat Alcaraz in the final 64 76 63
I’ve got Ruud over Alcaraz too.
In Belgrade Djoko over Rublev
Davido out of Barca
Alcaraz in Barcelona….Rublev rebounds in Belgrade.