ATP Basel Day 1 Predictions Including Murray vs Hanfmann

Mar 9, 2023; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Andy Murray (GBR) hits a shot in his first round match against Thomas Martin Etcheverry (not pictured) on day 4 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It promises to be an entertaining opening day at the ATP 500 event in Basel. There is a very strong draw, despite three players withdrawing from the event. Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is one of several players in action on the first day. There are five matches in total. As always, we at LWOT predict the outcome of all the contests in Basel, and also have a separate article with predictions for the first day in Vienna. But which players do you think will win?

ATP Basel Day 1 Predictions

Sebastian Baez vs Christopher O’Connell

Head-to-head: Baez 1-0 O’Connell

Baez showed his improvement on hard courts during his run to the title in Winston-Salem and subsequent appearance in the third round at the US Open. However, the Argentinian has struggled somewhat since then, losing three of his last four matches. O’Connell was the first seed in qualifying and battled through in close sets against Maxime Cressy and Thiago Seyboth Wild. It has been the best season of the Australian’s career to date, and he will undoubtedly provide a tough challenge for Baez. This is set to be O’Connell’s first ATP main draw match played indoors. Expect this to be a close match for long periods, but Baez’s slightly superior firepower with his forehand could make the difference in Basel.

Prediction: Baez in 3

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Christopher Eubanks vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Head-to-head: First meeting

Both players had similar experiences last week. Eubanks lost in a final-set tiebreak to eventual runner-up Pavel Kotov in Stockholm in the first round, while Struff also fell in a third-set tiebreak to Hugo Gaston in his opening match in Antwerp. This contest is likely to come down to very fine margins. There are unlikely to be many break points between two players who serve big, but who are also not among the best returners on the ATP Tour. Hence, it is a difficult match to call, but Struff gets the slightest of edges in Basel. The German’s results have been mixed since returning a few weeks ago from a three-month injury layoff, but he did play well against a truly inspired Gaston in Antwerp. Also, Eubanks’ level has not been very high since that great run at Wimbledon, and his season could just peter out.

Prediction: Struff in 3

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Botic van de Zandschulp vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Head-to-head: First meeting

Bautista Agut returned to the ATP Tour for the first time in nearly three months last week in Stockholm. The Spaniard looked out of sorts during a straight-sets loss to Elias Ymer, but that is understandable after a lengthy period out with injury. Aside from a run to the final in Munich in April, it has been an underwhelming season for Van de…