Second-round action in Basel will get underway on Wednesday, when Andy Murray and Tomas Martin Etcheverry take the court. Meanwhile, the first round wraps up with Casper Ruud facing Antwerp winner Alexander Bublik.
Andy Murray vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Murray and Etcheverry will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the Swiss Indoors Basel on Wednesday. Their only previous encounter was a fun one; Murray survived a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 thriller after three hours and 12 minutes earlier this season at the Indian Wells Masters.
This one should be also be competitive. Etcheverry may be at his best on clay, but he is really an all-court player and proved it once again by upsetting Sebastian Korda 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Monday. Murray booked his place in the second round with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Yannick Hanfmann. The 36-year-old Scot certainly isn’t in peak form these days, but he should be able to beat Etcheverry on this surface. It’s also worth noting that the 32nd-ranked Argentine has won back-to-back matches only twice in his last 12 ATP events.
Pick: Murray in 3
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Alexander Bublik vs. (2) Casper Ruud
Similar to his entire career, the 2023 campaign has been a roller-coaster ride for Bublik. He slumped early, won a 500-point title in Halle and reached the Wimbledon fourth round, did not win another match at any tournament until last week in Antwerp, and from out of nowhere captured the Antwerp title. One of the most mercurial players on tour, the 30th-ranked Kazakh is dangerous when he is confident and motivated. Bublik has the additional boost of a relatively quick indoor hard court in Basel, which suits his game well.
Up first for the 26-year-old is Ruud, who has won five of their six previous meetings. However, Bublik won their most recent indoor hard-court encounter 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 last year in Noway and he even managed to be competitive on clay earlier this season–losing in a third-set tiebreaker at the Rome Masters. Ruud has gone seven consecutive tournaments without advancing to a semifinal, so this is a great opportunity for Bublik to continue his hot streak.
Pick: Bublik in 3
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