PREVIEW: 2023 ATP Tour – Madrid Open – Selected Round of 64 Matches

2023 WTA/ATP Tour
ATP 1000
Madrid Open
La Caja Magica (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Round of 64 Matches-27^th April

Cristian Garin (27/100) vs Marc-Andrea Huesler  (26/10)

26-year-old Cristian Garin had a massive drop-off in 2022. The Chilean- an archetypal South-American clay-courter- won five titles on the sticky stuff in his early 20’s. He reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2021 and managed to reach as high as 17 in the world.  He slid all the way to 89^th after a shocking 2022.

This got even worse earlier this season, with Garin plummeting to a low of 103. And that off the back of some poor form during the South American clay-court Swing.  That was usually the period of the year where Garin could flex his muscles.  But it seems as if Garin has rediscovered something in recent weeks.

It started at one of the least likely places: Indian Wells. He made it through qualifying and then beat Casper Rudd on his way to the 4^th round of Indian Wells. And he has made the quarterfinals at Houston and Munich (once again showcasing his proclivity for clay). He just looks a different player at the moment. 

26-year-old Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler has endured a slightly miserable start to the season. He has plied his trade diligently on the Challenger circuit over the years.  But he really burst into life towards the end of last year, reaching the semi-finals at Winston-Salem before reaching his maiden ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open.

But it has gone off the rails pretty dramatically this season. He has only won three consecutive matches once (and that included two Davies Cup rubbers). He lost five consecutive matches at one point and he really needs to find something positive.

This is a surface where has found some real success before. He registered 20 wins to six defeats on clay surfaces last year. Sure, lots of that came on the Challenger Circuit. But it does show he has the capacity to string together wins on the clay. 

The Verdict: Garin to win in straight sets at 76/100

This will be the first competitive meeting between these two.  Garin has started to find his feet of late and should have too much power for Huesler.  I think he will wear the Swiss down with his relentlessness from the baseline.