Number seven seed Taylor Fritz of the United States will play a familiar face in Reilly Opelka in the first round of the 2020 Antwerp Open on Monday, October 19. The exact timing of the match is yet to be determined. Get the live streaming options of this Taylor Fritz v Reilly Opelka match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Taylor Fritz v Reilly Opelka Head to Head
Fritz and Opelka belong in the bracket of the best serving players in the men’s game. They have met five times throughout their careers, and it is the 22-year-old San Diego native who has the advantage in this rivalry over the towering Opelka, 4-1.
Out of those five meetings, three have been at tour level and it is still Fritz who has an edge, 2-1, winning in Indian Wells and Barcelona. However, Opelka won the most recent meeting in the indoor hard courts of Tokyo late last year in straight sets.
Also Read:
Fritz Still Chasing First Indoor Hard Court Win of 2020
Taylor Fritz’s 2020 season would befuddle even the most ardent of his supporter. It has been a mixed year littered with highs and lows, and it is difficult to ascertain what the next outcome of his seemingly burgeoning career would be like.
If we get to the highs, Fritz would be pleased with the first quarter of the year despite a terrible start. He made a solid run at the Australian Open where he reached the third round before he was eliminated by Dominic Thiem.
A month later in Acapulco, he produced a stunning comeback from the dead to beat John Isner in the semifinals before he fell to Nadal. Despite falling short, Fritz attained a career-high ranking of world no.24.
But Fritz, who has fallen down a few spots in the rankings will demand greater improvement for the remaining few weeks of the season. It is worth remembering, at 22, he is still a work in progress and is refining his game.
He arrives in Antwerp on the back of a devastating loss to Cameron Norrie in St. Petersburg, the second time he has fallen to the Brit this year.
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Opelka Attained Best Win of His Career
Not many people would have given Reilly Opelka much of a chance to beat defending champion Daniil Medvedev and certainly not on his territory in Russia.
The towering American did just that in St. Petersburg last week. After trailing by a set, Opelka would pierce through past one of tennis’ most disciplined defenses with a barrage of brutal hitting. Crucially, the 23-year-old saved four break points in the deciding set before he clinched one of his own.
It was a big performance by the Delray Beach champion considering he was on a three-match losing streak when he arrived in Russia’s second city. He has now reached two quarterfinals since tennis resumed in August, at the Western & Southern Open and now in St. Petersburg.
He will now focus on addressing his rather modest record against Taylor Fritz whom he is scheduled to face in the first round in Antwerp.
Fritz v Opelka Prediction and Tip
Opelka is playing with a lot of confidence right now and these conditions are perfect for his big-hitting game. Taylor Fritz is not too dissimilar in the power department, but he is lanky and is a better move than the giant that Opelka is. We expect this to be a battle between who takes his chances at each other’s service game which won’t be many.
Tip: Three sets in the match: 11/8 (bet365)
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The Antwerp Open 2020 will be played from October 19 to 25. You can watch & bet on the Antwerp Open here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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