No. 1 seed and 2023 champion Jannik Sinner will kick off his ATP 500 Vienna campaign against Daniel Altmaier during first-round action on Wednesday. The winner will go up against either Tomas Machac or Flavio Cobolli.
(1) Jannik Sinner vs. Daniel Altmaier
Outside of Italy, the Erste Bank Open in Vienna amounts to a home tournament for Sinner more than any other. Of course, it’s not like he needs any extra help at any event he enters. The world No. 2 is 43-6 this season, including Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Sinner is well rested heading into this week after using up little energy to pocket $6 million at the Six Kings Slam, where he made quick work of both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
Up first for the top seed on Wednesday is a familiar foe in Altmaier, who trails the head-to-head series 2-1. Altmaier pulled off a five-set upset at Roland Garros in 2023, but Sinner has won both of their previous hard-court meetings–in five sets at the 2022 U.S. Open and 6-3, 6-3 just a couple of weeks ago at the Shanghai Masters. Altmaier followed up that result with a bad loss to Gilles Arnaud Bailly in the Brussels first round, so there is little reason to think that anything will be different for the 51st-ranked German on Wednesday.
Pick: Sinner in 2
Tomas Machac vs. Flavio Cobolli
Machac and Cobolli will also be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Wednesday. All three of their previous encounters have gone Machac’s way; 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-1 in 2022 U.S. Open qualifying, 7-6(3), 6-2 at a 2022 indoor hard-court Challenger tournament, and 6-1, 6-2 to begin this season at the United Cup.
Since making a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Cobolli has defeated only one opponent ranked better than 56th. Machac has cooled off in recent months, as well, although he at least managed to reach round four at the U.S. Open. This matchup really comes down to the surface. Cobolli is a dreadful 15-28 lifetime indoors; Machac is a sparking 105-50. Count on the 31st-ranked Czech adding yet another head-to-head victory in this matchup.
Pick: Machac in 2
WWW?
Sinner in two, Mac in three
You should make sure to include when your pick is wrong in the next prediction and why. Cobolli didn’t look dreadful today.
To me it was 50 50 with Mac edging it