ATP Cup 2022 : Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman preview, head-to-head & prediction

Rohit
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman.

Match Details

Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman

Date: 3 January 2022

Tournament: 2022 ATP Cup

Round: Group Stage

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $14 million

Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 8 am GMT, 1.30 pm IST

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman preview

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 ATP Finals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 ATP Finals.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Argentina's Diego Schwartzman will square off in a Group D tie on Day 3 of the 2022 ATP Cup.

Tsitsipas withdrew from his scheduled singles match against Hubert Hurkacz on Day 1. While he's recovering well from elbow surgery he underwent in November 2021, Tsitsipas said the withdrawal was a precautionary measure as he didn't want to hamper his chances of competing at the Australian Open.

"The recovery from my elbow surgery in November is on track for Melbourne and today was a precautionary step to make sure I make Melbourne. We will see day by day, match by match until then," said Tsitsipas at a press conference.

Tsitsipas did play his doubles tie, teaming up with Michail Pervolarakis to defeat the Polish duo of Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski 6-4, 5-7, 10-8. The 23-year old's absence meant Greece were left without their best player and ended up losing both their singles matches.

Diego Schwartzman at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.
Diego Schwartzman at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

Diego Schwartzman's ATP Cup campaign got off to a good start as he defeated Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 6-2. Argentina had a good opening day as they won all of their matches to move to the top of Group D.

Schwartzman was at his best, winning 78% of his first serve points and creating nine break point opportunities, while winning five of them. The World No. 13 made very few mistakes in the match and will be looking to repeat this performance in the next round as well.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman head-to-head

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman have split their previous two meetings, with the head-to-head currently tied at 1-1. The Greek won their most recent encounter at the 2018 Barcelona Open 6-2, 6-1.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman prediction

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 Erste Bank Open.
Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 Erste Bank Open.

Tsitsipas's participation in the ATP Cup remains uncertain. He did mention he's considering things on a day-to-day basis, so if he's feeling well he just might compete. While he looked quite decent in his doubles match, singles will be a different matter altogether.

Tsitsipas will also be under pressure to win his singles tie, as a loss would effectively knock Greece out of the competition. He'll need to be at his best in every single aspect of his game to emerge victorious if he plays.

Schwartzman, on the other hand, will be high on confidence after his good start to the ATP Cup campaign. His incredible defensive skills will put him at an advantage against an opponent who might not be at his best.

Ultimately, a lot depends on how Tsitsipas is feeling physically, but given the current scenario, Schwartzman has the edge.

Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in straight sets.


Also Check Out: Complete ATP Cup 2022 Schedule

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