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Match Details
Fixture: (3) Holger Rune vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Date: July 27, 2022
Tournament: Croatia Open, Umag
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: ITC Stella Maris, Umag, Croatia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €534,555
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Holger Rune vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles preview
Third seed Holger Rune will take on World No. 82 Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round of the 2022 Croatia Open on Wednesday.
Rune has had an eventful season so far. At the 2022 BMW Open, the teenager received a wildcard and won his first ATP title. Rune defeated Jiri Lehecka, Alexander Zverev, Emil Ruusuvuori and Oscar Otte en route to the final where his competitor Botic van de Zandschulp retired mid-match.
Following his entry into the ATP top 100 for the first time on January 17, 2022, he went on to make his top-30 debut after his quarterfinal stint at the French Open. Rune notably earned victories over Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas before falling to Casper Ruud in four sets in the quarterfinals. Rune is yet to register a victory after the French Open, and has suffered six straight losses.
Meanwhile, Bernabe Zapata Miralles has had a reasonable season. The 25-year-old Spaniard has a 6-10 win-loss ratio so far this year. He has mainly played at the Challenger level. The Spaniard was able to enter the main draw at Roland Garros as well as Wimbledon.
Zapata Miralles exceeded his own expectations after he emerged successful against Taylor Fritz and John Isner, and made it to the fourth round at Roland Garros. He eventually fell to Alexander Zverev in four sets.
In the first round of the Croatia Open, Zapata Miralles faced teenage wildcard Dino Prizmic. Croatian Prizmic gave the Spaniard a run for his money as he broke thrice in the first set. After both players called for a medical timeout on separate occasions, Prizmic eventually decided to retire, and Zapata Miralles was handed the match 6-4, 3-0(ret).
Holger Rune vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles head-to-head
Holger Rune leads the head-to-head against Bernabe Zapata Miralles 1-0. The pair met at the 2021 Moselle Open, where the Dane overwhelmed the Spaniard 6-0, 6-0 in the first round.
Holger Rune vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles odds
(All odds are sourced from Bet365)
Holger Rune vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles prediction
Although Rune is on a six-match losing streak, he will enter the contest as the favorite. This will be the first match of the tournament for the third seed, who received a bye in the first round.
Zapata Miralles will be more accustomed to the court conditions. The Spaniard has shown that he is ready for a fight after winning the first set in his first match despite being broken thrice.
Rune will have to control his shotmaking and his well-mastered drop shots to make things difficult for the Spaniard.
As far as the Spaniard is concerned, playing defensively and hoping to pull through won’t be enough against an aggressive baseliner like Rune. Zapata Miralles is yet to win a game against the Dane, and will have to make effective returns and take control over the points to have a chance at winning.
Pick: Rune to win in three sets.
