Dominic Thiem will continue his bid for a second Rio de Janeiro title when he faces Jaume Munar on Thursday. Borna Coric and Brazil’s own Thiago Seyboth Wild are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
(1) Dominic Thiem vs. Jaume Munar
Thiem and Munar will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Rio Open on Thursday. Both of their previous meetings have gone Thiem’s way; 7-6(8), 6-1 two years ago on the red clay of Barcelona and 7-5, 6-1 at the same event last season.
On paper a similar result should be in store for this one, but Thiem surprisingly did not enjoy an entirely straightforward opener against Brazilian wild card Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves. The fourth-ranked Austrian dealt with a knee issue in the second set and needed three to prevail 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Munar, a 7-5, 6-4 victor over Salvatore Caruso, has not yet won back-to-back matches at the ATP level in 2020. This should be routine for Thiem if he is 100 percent.
Pick: Thiem in 2
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(5) Borna Coric vs. Thiago Seyboth Wild
It has been a crazy first few days in Rio–nothing crazier than Seyboth Wild’s first-rounder against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Seyboth Wild, a 19-year-old Brazilian, saved three match points before triumphing 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 in three hours and 49 minutes on Monday night. It was a contentious and controversial encounter in front of a raucous Brazilian crowd–and it marked Seyboth Wild’s second-ever win on the main tour.
Up next for the world No. 206 is Coric, who could use a big week in a big way. The 32nd-ranked Croat was 1-4 this season heading into Rio de Janeiro, but he scored an impressive 7-6(5), 7-5 clay-court victory over Juan Ignacio Londero on Tuesday. That should restore Coric’s confidence, and Seyboth Wild may struggle to build on such a monumental moment in his young career.
Pick: Coric in 2
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