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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Date: July 27, 2022
Tournament: Generali Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Kitzbuhel, Austria
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €534,555
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Austria - ServusTV
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Juan Pablo Varillas preview
Fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas will open his Kitzbuhel campaign against World No. 109 Juan Pablo Varillas at the Generali Open on Wednesday.
Ramos-Vinolas, the 2016 French Open quarterfinalist, has four titles to his name, the latest of which came in Cordoba in February this year.
The World No. 52 also made three other semfinals - at Santiago, Estoril and Gstaad. Although the Spanish veteran managed to win just two games in his semifinal clash with top seed and eventual champion Casper Ruud at Gstaad last week, winning two matches there would have given him plenty of confidence ahead of his Kitzbuhel sojourn.
Peru's No. 1 player Juan Pablo Varillas, meanwhile, mainly plies his trade in the ITF Futures and ATP Challenger circuit. He has a total of nine singles titles to his name at that level.
The 26-year-old's best performance this year was at the Santa Cruz De La Sierra 2 Challenger in March, where he finished as the runner-up.
He has, however, come to Kitzbuhel after a memorable week in Gstaad, where he reached the quarterfinals from qualifying. Varillas managed to continue the momentum at the Generali Open too with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Carlos Taberner in the first round on Monday.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Juan Pablo Varillas head-to-head
Ramos-Vinolas has a 2-0 lead over Varillas in their head-to-head. The Spaniard earned a 7-6(3), 6-2 win in their first meeting at Santiago in 2020. He added another win to his tally when the Peruvian retired earlier this year in Cordoba, with Ramos-Vinolas leading 6-4, 2-3.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Juan Pablo Varillas odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Juan Pablo Varillas prediction
Incidentally, both Ramos-Vinolas and Varillas entered Kitzbuhel on the back of confidence-boosting runs at Gstaad last week, setting up an exciting second-round clash.
Their playing styles also have a lot of similarities, with both of them being efficient claycourters. Both have a heavy topspin forehand which they use to move their opponents around the court and grind them down.
That said, Ramos-Vinolas has that extra variety in his game that could make a difference in this match. His ability to mix up his play with a smattering of slices and dropshots as well as his forays into the net could surprise Varillas and break his rhythm.
Add to that, the 34-year-old Spanish southpaw also has way more experience playing at the highest level of the sport than Varillas, which could come in handy under pressure.
Pick: Ramos-Vinolas to win in two tight sets.
