Conditions at the Mutua Madrid Open should be ideal for Hubert Hurkacz. Clay gives him time to set up his groundstrokes and hit them in his strike zone, while the high altitude makes his huge serve especially tough to handle. The 15th-ranked Pole reached the third round in 2019 as a qualifier and made a run to the quarterfinals last spring before falling to Novak Djokovic.
Up first for Hurkacz on Friday is Richard Gasquet, who lost their only previous meeting 6-3, 6-4 on the hard courts of Dubai in 2021. The 36-year-old Frenchman is a mediocre 10-9 in 2023 after beating wild card Martin Landaluce 6-2, 6-1 on Wednesday.
A big step up in competition should bring about a relatively swift end to Gasquet’s fortnight.
Pick: Hurkacz in 2
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