In the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, recent Almaty Open champion Karen Khachanov takes on qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Current Form:
- Karen Khachanov: Ranked 24th in the world following his title in Almaty, Khachanov has had a strong year with two hard court titles (also winning in Doha) and a quarter-final appearance in the China Open last month. He aims to defeat Wild for the first time, having faced him earlier this year at Indian Wells.
- Thiago Seyboth Wild: Currently ranked 78th, Wild reached the main draw by defeating Pablo Carreno Busta and Aleksandar Kovacevic. While he recently won a Challenger Tour event on clay, he has struggled on hard courts this year, failing to progress past the last 16 in any event. His last outing was a loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Antwerp.
Prediction:
Given Khachanov’s recent success and experience on hard courts, he is favored to win this match in straight sets against Seyboth Wild.