It is the final day of the ATP Vienna 500 event, as seven-time Major champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on the No.
5 seed, Alex de Minaur, in the final of this year’s Erste Bank Open.
ATP Vienna Final PredictionCarlos Alcaraz vs Alex de MinaurHead-to-head: Alcaraz 6-0 de MinaurEntering the event after receiving a surprising late wildcard, Carlos Alcaraz has played some of his best tennis since returning from his wrist injury.
All of his matches have also followed a consistent theme, with Alcaraz winning the first sets comfortably before clinching the matches with second-set tiebreaks.
With that said, Alcaraz winning this match, possibly in straight sets, is still the most likely outcome.
It is the final day of the ATP Vienna 500 event, as seven-time Major champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on the No. 5 seed, Alex de Minaur, in the final of this year’s Erste Bank Open. With Alcaraz reaching the final, it is already a huge boost for the tournament and its organisers, given the Spaniard’s star power. However, de Minaur will be looking to play spoiler and claim the title himself on Sunday. As always, we here at LWOT will be providing our breakdown and predictions for the final, but who do you think will lift the title?
ATP Vienna Final Prediction
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 6-0 de Minaur
Entering the event after receiving a surprising late wildcard, Carlos Alcaraz has played some of his best tennis since returning from his wrist injury. He is yet to drop a single set, despite having a tricky draw. All of his matches have also followed a consistent theme, with Alcaraz winning the first sets comfortably before clinching the matches with second-set tiebreaks. Now on a 25-match winning streak at the ATP 500 level, the Spaniard will look to end his season at this level on a high.
His opponent, Alex de Minaur, has had a tougher time in Vienna so far but makes the final after securing one of his best wins on tour, defeating the soon-to-be World No. 1 Alexander Zverev in a three-set semifinal. The Australian has used his exceptional court coverage and defensive skills throughout the week on the slower courts in Vienna, as he now looks to get his first win over Alcaraz in their seventh meeting.
The difficult part for de Minaur is that not only is the head-to-head against Alcaraz one-sided, but the matches themselves are also, more often than not, not particularly competitive, with de Minaur winning just two sets across their six meetings so far. The primary reason for that is that Alcaraz is one of the few players on tour who can not only match de Minaur’s speed and court coverage but even better it, given his higher levels of raw power and explosiveness. The Australian is a natural baseliner, and unfortunately for him, Alcaraz is one of, if not the, best players in the world from the back of the court.
Add to that the Spaniard’s variety and offensive tools, and this match almost always starts with a feeling of inevitability that Alcaraz will win. To have a chance, de Minaur will need to mix things up, come to the net more often than he would like, attack Alcaraz’s still-suspect second serve, and play as aggressively as possible. All of these factors certainly risk producing more errors off the Australian’s racket, but at this point in their head-to-head, there is no harm in trying something different.
With that said, Alcaraz winning this match, possibly in straight sets, is still the most likely outcome. Expect the Spaniard to lift his second career indoor hard-court title and continue to build momentum by finishing a season in which he suffered his biggest setback on a positive note.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo Credit: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
