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

It will be another all-German affair for Alexander Zverev when the top seed takes on Jan-Lennard Struff in the Munich quarterfinals. Friday’s schedule also includes a showdown between Hyeon Chung and qualifier Martin Klizan.

(1) Alexander Zverev vs. Jan-Lennard Struff

Zverev and Struff will be going head-to-head for the fifth time in their careers and for the fifth time on clay when the German Davis Cup teammates meet again in the quarterfinals of the BMW Open on Friday. All four of their previous encounters have gone Zverev’s way, although the last two have required final sets. He prevailed 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in the same round of this same Munich event in 2017 and 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 a few weeks ago in Monte-Carlo. The world No. 3 endured another tough one against another countryman during second-round action on Wednesday, but he managed to scrape past wild card Yannick Hanfmann 6-7(12), 6-4, 6-2.

Struff was an all-star for Germany’s Davis Cup squad in 2018, winning epic doubles matches against Australia in the first round and on the road in Spain in the quarters (the visitors ended up losing to Rafael Nadal and company 3-2). The world No. 62 is off to a strong start to his own clay-court campaign, with a third-round performance in Monte-Carlo and a quarterfinal finish in Budapest. He has now won multiple matches at three consecutive events following Munich victories over compatriots Daniel Masur and Yannick Maden. A third straight German opponent is a much different one, of course, and Zverev’s current form is such that Struff will be hard-pressed to turn the tide of their head-to-head history.

Pick: Zverev in 2 with one tiebreaker

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(4) Hyeon Chung vs. (Q) Martin Klizan

Shockingly, this will also be a rematch of a 2017 Munich quarterfinal. Yes, just like Zverev and Struff, Chung and Klizan also faced each other in this same round of last year’s Munich festivities–with Chung winning the only previous meeting between the two competitors 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. The 22-year-old South Korean has been on fire in 2018, to the extent that he is inside the top eight in the race to London despite missing a few events due to injuries. He has reached at least the quarterfinals of an incredible seven straight tournaments, including the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami. Chung is through to the last eight in Munich thanks to a 6-1, 6-1 double-breadstick of Matthias Bachinger on Wednesday.

Whereas Chung has played one match (and a mere 14 total games, in fact), Klizan has already battled through a pair of three-setters (59 total games against Florian Mayer and Mirza Basic) in the main draw plus two qualifying wins (over Ernests Gulbis and Jozef Kovalik). Thus continues a sudden hot streak for the 122nd-ranked Slovak, who also qualified in Barcelona, made a run to the quarterfinals, and had set points against Nadal before succumbing 6-0, 7-5. Clay gives Klizan a chance, but at some point he is going to run out gas and that may happen against a dogged opponent who dropped just two games in the second round.

Pick: Chung in 3

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