Munich QF previews and predictions: Zverev vs. Struff, Klizan vs. Chung

It will be an all-German affair when Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff square off in the Munich quarterfinals on Friday. Martin Klizan and Hyeon Chung are also battling for a spot in the last four.

(7) Jan-Lennard Struff vs. (3) Alexander Zverev

Zverev and Struff will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers and for the third time on clay when they collide in the quarterfinals of the BMW Open on Friday. Both of their previous meetings have gone Zverev’s way; 6-3, 7-6(2) at the 2015 Heilbronn Challenger and 6-4, 6-3 last spring in Barcelona. The 20-year-old German is an even more dangerous player now. He is up to No. 20 in the world thanks in part to a title on the indoor hard courts of Montpellier three months ago and a quarterfinal run in Miami. Zverev kicked off this week with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Jeremy Chardy on Wednesday.

Struff is a solid 11-9 at the ATP this season and he will surpass his career-high ranking of 46th in the world even if he loses this match. The 27-year-old German’s current clay-court swing includes a third-round showing in Monte-Carlo, a quarterfinal performance in Marrakech, and now another quarterfinal in Munich following straight-set victories over Daniel Masur and Tommy Haas. As their past history suggests, however, this is not a good matchup for Struff. The two compatriots feature similarly big-hitting styles of play and Zverev gets the check mark in just about every department.

Pick: Zverev in 2

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Hyeon Chung vs. Martin Klizan

Chung’s climb to prominence on the main tour slowed just a bit last season but he is starting to pick up the pace in 2017. The 78th-ranked South Korean owns nine ATP-level match victories (compared to five losses) this year and he also captured a Challenger title in January. Chung reached the Barcelona quarterfinals as a qualifier last week and so far in Munich he has taken out Maximilian Marterer and top-seeded Gael Monfils.

Up next for the 20-year-old is a first-ever showdown against Klizan. Although Klizan has been playing almost every week this season, he does not have a whole lot to show for his efforts. The 53rd-ranked Slovak is just 10-12, but he may be finding some form on his preferred clay-court surface. He successfully qualified in Monte-Carlo, reached the quarters in Budapest, and has advanced this week with defeats of Nicolas Kicker and Mischa Zverev. Klizan is prone to mental meltdowns, however, and facing an opponent with the speedy defensive qualities of Chung will be frustrating.

Pick: Chung in 3

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