A few picks from the Stuttgart second round today, and honestly, we've gone a bit contrarian across the board. All three predicted winners are the lower-ranked player, so either this is a great day for upsets or a rough one for us. Let's get into it.
Boss Open - Stuttgart Predictions
Martin Landaluce vs Taylor Fritz
Head-to-head: First meeting
Fritz is a top-10 player and a perfectly capable grass-courter, but he's never been someone who dominates on this surface and Landaluce is a Spanish lefty with a big serve who's looked sharp in the early rounds. Grass can be a neutraliser, and a first meeting with a left-handed serve can mess with your timing before you've settled in.
Landaluce takes this in 2.
Prediction: Landaluce in 2
Jiri Lehecka vs James Duckworth
Head-to-head: First meeting
Lehecka is ranked 12th in the world and has had some big results this year, so picking Duckworth here feels bold, but the Australian is a genuine grass-court threat with a reliable serve-and-volley game and plenty of experience on this surface. Lehecka can be streaky and when things aren't clicking for him the errors come fast. Duckworth has pulled off results like this before on grass and this feels like a match that goes the distance.
Prediction: Duckworth in 3
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: Shelton 2-1 Giron
Shelton is the higher-ranked player and has the bigger serve, but the head-to-head is closer than you'd think for a top-5 vs top-90 matchup, and Giron has shown he can hang with Shelton when given enough time on the ball. On grass, Shelton's power is obviously amplified, but he can be broken when his first serve percentage dips and he's had some inconsistent stretches recently. That said, Giron is a smart, disciplined player who doesn't hand matches away and I think he finds enough here to steal it in three, all things considered.
Prediction: Giron in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire