Swedish Open 2023: Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (5) Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro

Date: July 20, 2023

Tournament: Swedish Open 2023

Round: Second Round (Round of 16)

Venue: Bastad, Sweden

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Clay

Prize money: €562,815

Live telecast: USA: Tennis Channel | Australia: beIN Sport | Canada: TSN

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Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro preview

Zverev opens his Bastad campaign on Thursday.

Fifth seed Alexander Zverev will get his Swedish Open campaign in Bastad underway against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro on Thursday.

World No. 19 Zverev has had a largely underwhelming season, going 26-17, but his recent form is encouraging. The 26-year-old is coming off a third-round run at Wimbledon after making the semifinals at Halle and Roland Garros.

Zverev will now make his return to clay after the grasscourt swing, where he had a 5-2 record. The Roland Garros semifinalist has had decent returns on clay this season, reaching the last four in Geneva and the fourth round in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

The German is returning to Bastad after eight years, where the then 18-year-old made a surprise run to the semifinals on his tournament debut. He will look to improve on his 3-1 record at the tournament and embark on a similar run.

Meanwhile, the 122nd-ranked Monteiro improved to 8-15 in 2023 by beating Daniel Elahi Galan in his Swedish Open opener. After dropping a tight opening set 5-7, the Brazilian left-hander dropped four games apiece in the next two sets.

Monteiro is now 3-4 in Bastad, where he stumbled in the opening round in his last two appearances in 2019 and 2021. The 29-year-old made his only ATP quarterfinals of the season in Santiago and has made two on the Challenger Tour.

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Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro head-to-head

Zverev won his lone meeting with Monteiro in a Davis Cup first-round qualifier in Brazil in straight sets last year. This will be their second clash on clay.

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Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Alexander Zverev	-750	-1.5 (-250)	Over 20.5 (-125)
Thiago Monteiro	+475	+1.5 (+165)	Under 20.5 (-110)

All odds are sourced from BETMGM.

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Alexander Zverev vs Thiago Monteiro prediction

Monteiro is up and running in Bastad.

Both Zverev and Monteiro look to dominate opponents from the back of the court, but the similarities in their game styles end there.

Zverev is one of the biggest servers on tour, hits powerfully off either flank and moves well for his height, while Monteiro has more modest weapons. Moreover, the German takes the edge because of his superior experience, consistency and pedigree, especially on clay.

He has gone 121-48 on the surface, winning six titles, while Monteiro is 54-60. Considering the same, expect a win for the German.

Pick: Zverev in straight sets