Fifth seed Jiri Lehecka faces unseeded Jaume Munar in the first round of the European Open on Monday. This marks their second matchup in just over a week, with Lehecka having won their previous encounter in straight sets in Shanghai.
Lehecka enters this match with a solid 24-15 record and has claimed one title in Adelaide. He also reached the semi-finals in Madrid and the quarter-finals in Beijing and Indian Wells. However, his recent form has been inconsistent, managing only three wins in his last eight matches. The 22-year-old is currently ranked 33rd in the live rankings.
Jaume Munar hasn’t played since the loss to Lehecka in Shanghai, which ended his six-match winning streak. He will be eager for revenge, though he faces challenges on indoor hard courts, where he has a career record of 13-31. Despite this, Munar boasts a better overall season record of 31-29 and has achieved quarter-final finishes in Cordoba and Santiago.
The winner of this match will face Daniel Altmaier or an unnamed qualifier in the quarter-finals. Given recent performances, this match could be competitive, but we lean towards Lehecka due to his previous victory and overall achievements this season.