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Match details
Fixture: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer
Date: 23 September 2020
Tournament: Hamburg European Open 2020
Round: Round of 16 (Second round)
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP Masters 500
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €1,062,520
Match timing: Not before 6.30 pm CEST, 10.00 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer preview
Roberto Bautista Agut has started well in the Hamburg Open tournament, running past two-time defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets on Tuesday. The Spaniard, who bowed out in the third round of the US Open last month, will be keen to make a statement of intent this week ahead of the French Open in Paris.
Bautista Agut won his first and only clay title in Germany in 2014, at the Stuttgart Open. He would be keen to add another one in the same country.
Dominik Koepfer, meanwhile, pulled off an upset against the higher-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round, winning 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-1. The German has been in good form of late – he made it to the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters last week, where he was beaten by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer
head-to-head
Roberto Bautista Agut and Dominik Koepfer have never faced off on tour before. This will be their first encounter against each other, with the head-to-head currently at 0-0.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer prediction
Roberto Bautista Agut has an impressive win-loss record of 15-5 in 2020. He is the No. 4 seed at Hamburg this week, and is widely considered one of the favorites for the trophy.
But the Spaniard's recent form hasn't been all that great, and his early exit at the US Open - where he was seeded eighth - was particularly concerning. Moreover, Bautista Agut is not exactly a traditional Spanish dirtballer; among all surfaces, his worst win percentage is on clay.
That said, the 32-year-old would have gained some confidence from his assured performance against Basilashvili. On Wednesday, he will look to deploy his strong forehand and good movement to keep Koepfer pinned behind the baseline.
The German, meanwhile, might be facing a bit of fatigue after his recent exertions. While his lefty angles and power have been working well for him over the past month, he might find Bautista Agut a little too solid from the back of the court.
Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in three sets.
