ATP Tour: Hall of Tennis Open Preview

We take a look at the ATP Tour’s Hall of Tennis Open round of 32 and 16 taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday 16-17 July 2019.

2019 ATP Tour | ATP 250 Series | Hall of Tennis Open
International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Rhode Island
Selected Round of 32 and Round of 16 Matches | 16-17 July 2019

Tim Smyczek (9/20)
vs Mischa Zverev (16/10)
It’s fairly common knowledge that this has been a dreadful year for potential World Number One Alex Zverev. But that is nothing compared to the travails of his older brother Mischa. He has been subject to an amazing 13 opening round defeats this year. That includes an eight-match losing streak. That is incredible when you consider that Zverev was a 2017 Aussie Open quarter-finalist. Zverev actually won the Eastbourne title just last year! The towering figure has just completely capitulated this season. Even the return to grass couldn’t offer the German any solace. Zverev definitely needs a reboot and may look at this slightly off-Broadway event as a perfect opportunity to regain some momentum. 

The 31-year-old Tim Smyczek is the very embodiment of the term ‘journeyman’. Smyczek has seven Challenger titles to his name. His highest career World Ranking was 68, reached in 2015. So it’s fair to say that the German has a far more polished pedigree. Perhaps Smyczek will forever be best known for a fairly epic four-set match against Rafael Nadal in 2015. He allowed Nadal to play a crucial 1st serve again due to fan interference, incurring the praise of Nadal and fans alike. But it has really been a torrid season for the American. He has some good juju in this event, winning the double’s title here in 2013. How much that could help him this week is indeed a mystery. But he couldn’t have possibly handpicked a man in worse form than the elder Zverev brother. 

Despite Zverev’s terrible run of form, I’m really surprised that Smyczek emerged as a favourite. Zverev has a much finer pedigree and should be comforted by the grass-courts here. I just can’t believe that Zverev is all of a sudden a poor player. What has happened in the Zverev household this year? But 13/8 for a superior player-even with horrendous form – looks like a win to me.  

Jordan Thompson (6/10)
vs Marcel Granollers (5/4)
It certainly says something about the relative lack of depth in this field that Aussie Jordan Thompson occupies the third seeding. Having said that, the diminutive Australian is currently in a hot vein of form. Prior to the grass-court season, Thompson had already racked up three quarter-final appearances. He stands in stark contrast to the infinitely more talented Nick Kyrgios, willing to sacrifice everything for that last iota of performance. And with the grass-court season came the rewards. He reached the final of the Rosmalen event prior to a semi-final run in the Antalya Open. Though he was eliminated in the opening round at Wimbledon, a five-set loss to Kyrgios can hardly be considered a disgrace. The 25-year-old seems to be incrementally improving and he should thrive in an event tailor-made to his talents. 

33-year-old Spaniard Marcel Granollers is really on the opposite end of the form spectrum. Considering the way the likes of Carreno Busta and Bautista Agut have evolved, Granollers is something of a throwback. He is far more comfortable on clay, with his five ATP finals coming on the sticky surface: the last of those finals dates back to 2014. He actually started the year with a victory in the Da Nang Tennis Open. He was the top seed in what is in many ways an exhibition event. He has reached three quarter-finals this year, with perhaps the most high profile result coming in Houston. Like many players on tour, Granollers has shifted much focus to doubles as his career has evolved. A former top 20 player, Granollers will always have a punchers chance in matches such as these. 

This will only be the second time that these two would have met. Thompson won their only encounter earlier this season: he won in straight sets during the Delray Beach event. I see no other result other than a comfortable Thompson victory. His pugnacious attitude and never-say-die approach makes him an attractive favourite in these lower-tier tour events: he is less likely to ghost through an event such as this.