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Match details
Fixture: (13) Diego Schwartzman vs Grigor Dimitrov.
Date: 4 May 2022.
Tournament: Madrid Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Madrid, Spain.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €6,744,165.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Diego Schwartzman vs Grigor Dimitrov preview
13th seed Diego Schwartzman will take on World No. 20 Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the 2022 Madrid Open on Wednesday.
Schwartzman has had considerable success on clay this year. He reached consecutive finals at the Argentina Open and the Rio Open, losing to Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz respectively. The Argentine then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Monte-Carlo Masters and reached the semifinals of the Barcelona Open.
Schwartzman kicked off his Madrid Open campaign with a three-set win over Benoit Paire. The Argentine won the opening set without much fuss but the second set was evenly contested as neither player managed to get any break point chances.
Schwartzman took the early lead in the tie-break, but Paire rallied from behind to clinch it. However, the Frenchman couldn't sustain his level in the deciding set, with the World No. 15 winning the match 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Grigor Dimitrov started his clay season on a strong note by reaching the semifinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. However, he then lost in the second round of the Barcelona Open to Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.
At the Madrid Open, Dimitrov was up against qualifier Maxime Cressy in the first round. Cressy defeated him at the Melbourne Summer Set in January but was unable to repeat that performance as Dimitrov got the better of him, winning 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Diego Schwartzman vs Grigor Dimitrov head-to-head
Dimitrov leads Schwartzman 2-1 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter in the first round of the 2017 Wimbledon in straight sets.
Diego Schwartzman vs Grigor Dimitrov odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Diego Schwartzman vs Grigor Dimitrov prediction
Schwartzman has been one of the most consistent players on clay this year, so he'll be the favorite heading into this encounter. Dimitrov has enjoyed some success on the surface as well, but isn't a notable powerhouse on clay.
Dimitrov has a pretty good serve in his arsenal, which will be tested by Schwartzman's returning skills. The Argentine has won a tour-leading 36.3% of his return games this year but his own serve remains a liability at times, which has led to his downfall on occasion.
Schwartzman's incredible court coverage will also give him an advantage. He hits the ball quite well considering his small stature and is able to defend and go on the offensive when required quite easily. On the other hand, Dimitrov's playing style is quite versatile and he will look to make his forehand do most of the heavy lifting in this match.
Despite his success on clay, the Madrid Open remains a tournament where Schwartzman has struggled a fair bit. He has been past the second round just once and has a 4-4 record here. Dimitrov, on the other hand, is a former quarterfinalist.
The Bulgarian has done well here in the past and if he's able to summon that form once again, he could possibly manage to upset his opponent. However, Schwartzman has been way too solid over the past few weeks and should be able to advance further.
Pick: Diego Schwartzman to win in straight sets.
