Match Details:
Fixture: Dominic Thiem (PR) vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Date: July 22, 2022
Match Timing: 10:30 am local time / 8:30 am GMT / 4:30 am ET / 2 pm IST
Tournament: Swiss Open
Round: Quarter Final
Venue: Gstaad, Switzerland
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €534,555
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN
Dominic Thiem vs Juan Pablo Varillas preview
Dominic Thiem will battle it out against Juan Pablo Varillas in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open on Friday.
Former World No. 3 Thiem entered the tournament using a protected ranking (PR). He now sees himself in the second consecutive quarterfinal on the ATP tour after a couple of wins in Bastad last week. The Austrian has previously clinched the ATP Gstaad title in 2015.
The Austrian, who slid down to No. 352 in the rankings last month, has managed to gain some momentum and is slowly rising in the ranks. He was winless for fourteen months before beating compatriot Filip Misolic at the Salzburg Challenger.
Since then, the 2020 US Open Champion has garnered four tour level wins, giving him a much-needed confidence boost. The 28-year-old bested Federico Delbonis, 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the final eight in Gstaad. Incidentally, it was his first straight-sets win at tour-level since his comeback.
Juan Pablo Varillas, meanwhile, has battled past the qualifiers to reach the Swiss Open quarterfinals. Ranked No.115, Varillas has played majorly at the Challenger level this year.
The Peruvian has won 4 ATP Challenger and 5 ITF singles titles overall. Fairly low on experience at the tour level, the 26-year-old has 32 matches under his belt, including Grand Slams and Davis Cup, with a 50% win rate.
However, Varillas has had a couple of noteworthy wins en route to the quarterfinals in Gstaad. He defeated Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the Round of 32 and pulled off an upset against third seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the Round of 16, both in straight sets.
Dominic Thiem vs Juan Pablo Varillas head-to-head
Thiem and Varillas have never competed against each other on tour and their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Dominic Thiem vs Juan Pablo Varillas odds
Dominic Thiem vs Juan Pablo Varillas prediction
Clay is Dominic Thiem’s preferred surface. He has made a very conscious decision to make his return to the tour by competing in claycourt tournaments. Thiem has had moments of inconsistency within the matches but has managed to get a grip on his game during the deciding moments. The Austrian's forehand has improved and he has started trusting his movements more with each match.
Varillas, fresh off two straight-set wins against strong players, may enter the match with confidence. With a threatening backhand like Thiem’s, Varillas will have to play an error-free match to have a chance at surviving.
Pick: Thiem to win in straight sets.