ATP Tournament in Halle, 1st Round, Tuesday, 14.06.2022
Will the ATP Tournament in Halle finally have a German winner again? After Alexander Zverev’s serious injury, the other starters in black-red-gold will have a hard time keeping their hopes alive
In my Otte Kecmanovic tip, I will outline why I expect an intense 1st round. In terms of a sports betting tip, I’m therefore going to go out on a limb and say: two sentences are not enough! Why? That’s what my analysis will now show.
Was Oscar Otte proud, angry or disappointed last Saturday? For the second time this year he had reached a semi-final on the ATP Tour, for the second time it was just not quite enough against the eventual champion.
Otte was the king of tiebreaks in Stuttgart. He had defeated Daniel Altmaier and Denis Shapovalov both 7-6, 7-6 before Benjamin Bonzi had to withdraw due to illness in the quarter-finals. Finally, the semi-final against Matteo Berrettini was on the agenda.
The German did not give the world-class player an inch, neither of them managed a break. With bearish serves, both sets went into a tiebreak, but this time Otte’s nerves didn’t hold.
In the end, it was two measly points that secured Berrettini’s victory. Otte failed very close to the finish, but once again showed how strong he is by now. Even the absolute top stars are no longer safe from him.
The world number 51 cracks the top 50 shortly, making him Germany’s second strongest tennis player. He has never competed in Halle before, so now he made his debut. In Stuttgart, too, he achieved the strong result at his very first participation.
However, the bookmakers did not quite dare to favour him in his 1st round against Miomir Kecmanovic.
Miomir Kecmanovic is probably also seen as the front runner because the world ranking gives this impression. The Serb is ranked 30th, which is still a long way from Otte.
The 22-year-old took a short break after his 3rd round exit at the French Open against Daniil Medvedev, but now returns to the court in Halle. In the last few months, he has attracted attention with quite strong performances.
Whether Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz or Carlos Alcaraz, they all had big problems against Kecmanovic. Every now and then, however, the 22-year-old also has a hard time against actual outsiders.
After his first appearance in 2019, it is the second time he will serve in Halle on Tuesday. It should be quite easy to get a better result, as three years ago he was eliminated directly in the 1st round against Karen Khachanov.
My Otte Kecmanovic Tip
Can Oscar Otte continue to perform so strongly? The German is on top form in front of his own audience this year, and he almost beat Matteo Berrettini in Stuttgart.
Miomir Kecmanovic is an unpleasant player, but not one who is unbeatable. I was so convinced by Otte’s performance in 2022 that I don’t believe in an outright defeat against the Serb. Since both are known for longer matches, I’m betting:
We see three sets!
