A few picks from the first round of the Gonet Geneva Open today, with cool temperatures and partial cloud cover making for decent conditions on the clay. Some interesting matchups here, so let's get into it.
Gonet Geneva Open Predictions
Jenson Brooksby vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: Brooksby 1-1 Ruud
The H2H is level, but context matters. Brooksby's win came on a hard court, and this is clay in May, which is basically Ruud's living room. Ruud's been building nicely through the spring and the slow Geneva conditions are exactly what he wants, giving him time to construct points from the baseline the way he does best.
Brooksby is a tricky opponent for anyone and he's not easy to break down, but clay has always been his toughest surface and there's no obvious path to an upset here. Hard to see this being competitive at all. Ruud wins this comfortably.
Prediction: Ruud in 2
Sebastian Baez vs Alex Michelsen
Head-to-head: First meeting
Michelsen has been improving steadily and his ranking reflects that, but Baez on clay, one of the grittiest retrievers on the surface, is a different problem entirely. He grinds, he retrieves, he makes you play an extra ball on every single point and a lot of players just can't sustain that for three sets. That said, Michelsen is young and athletic enough to keep this competitive, and a first meeting always adds a layer of unpredictability.
I think Baez gets through, but not without being pushed.
Prediction: Baez in 3
Arthur Rinderknech vs Thiago Agustin Tirante
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rinderknech's ranking flatters him a little on this surface. He's a big server and a hard-court player at heart, and Geneva's clay isn't going to neutralize Tirante's ability to push the ball deep and wear opponents down from the back. Tirante has been quietly solid on clay this year and I feel like he's the kind of player who makes life very uncomfortable for someone like Rinderknech, who needs short points to stay in control. To make things worse, there's no obvious way for Rinderknech to shorten the match on this surface.
Backing Tirante to come through in three here, all things considered.
Prediction: Tirante in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Marcin Cholewinski/ZUMA Press Wire