Andy Murray will be back in action following a big win in round one when he faces Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday in Vienna. A quarterfinal spot will also be at stake when Matteo Berrettini goes up against Nikoloz Basilashvili.
(WC) Andy Murray vs. Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz and Murray will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this fall when they meet again in round two of the Erste Bank Open on Wednesday. They just faced each other in Indian Wells, where Murray prevailed 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. The 34-year-old has been struggling to follow up big wins with more success, and he lost to Alexander Zverev in straight sets after beating Alcaraz. Obviously there is no shame in losing to Zverev, but this is another difficult test following another grueling victory. Murray needed two hours and 40 minutes to upset Hubert Hurkacz on Monday.
A much more routine opening match in Vienna saw Alcaraz impressively dispose of Dan Evans 6-4, 6-3. The 18-year-old Spaniard is coming down the stretch of his breakthrough season on tour, in which he has earned 23 of his 24 career ATP-level match victories. That includes a quarterfinal run at the U.S. Open–a big reason why he is up to No. 42 in the world. Murray just barely managed to handle Alcaraz’s firepower on an extremely slow Indian Wells court, but that task may be tougher in Vienna.
Pick: Alcaraz in 3
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs. (3) Matteo Berrettini
Alcaraz will soon be off to the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan, while Berrettini can prepare to pack his bags for the Nitto ATP Finals in Milan. The seventh-ranked Italian’s return trip to the year-end championship is certainly well-deserved. His 40-10 match record is highlighted by a runner-up performance at Wimbledon and quarterfinal results at both the French Open and U.S. Open. He did not lose to anyone other than Novak Djokovic at the Grand Slams.
Berrettini beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6(3), 6-3 in the Vienna first round, while Basilashvili battled past Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Berrettini is coming off a runner-up finish in Indian Wells, and he is extremely dangerous when playing with confidence. That is why this contest should be competitive, but upsetting Berrettini will require a sustained level of excellence and even now it’s far from a guarantee that the Georgian is capable.
Pick: Berrettini in 3
Agree, good picks imo