Hamburg Open 2020: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer

Date: 23 September 2020

Tournament: Hamburg European Open 2020

Round: Round of 16 (Second round)

Venue: Hamburg, Germany

Category: ATP Masters 500

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €1,062,520

Match timing: Not before 6.30 pm CEST, 10.00 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer preview

Roberto Bautista Agut has started well in the Hamburg Open tournament, running past two-time defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets on Tuesday. The Spaniard, who bowed out in the third round of the US Open last month, will be keen to make a statement of intent this week ahead of the French Open in Paris.

Bautista Agut won his first and only clay title in Germany in 2014, at the Stuttgart Open. He would be keen to add another one in the same country.

The @hamburgopen defending champion is out 😯@BautistaAgut defeats Basilashvili 6-4 6-3. pic.twitter.com/W5Z7dOcE6w

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 22, 2020

Dominik Koepfer, meanwhile, pulled off an upset against the higher-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round, winning 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-1. The German has been in good form of late – he made it to the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters last week, where he was beaten by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in three sets.

Dominik Koepfer made it to the quarter-final of the Italian Open last week

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer

head-to-head

Roberto Bautista Agut and Dominik Koepfer have never faced off on tour before. This will be their first encounter against each other, with the head-to-head currently at 0-0.

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Dominik Koepfer prediction

Roberto Bautista Agut has an impressive win-loss record of 15-5 in 2020. He is the No. 4 seed at Hamburg this week, and is widely considered one of the favorites for the trophy.

But the Spaniard's recent form hasn't been all that great, and his early exit at the US Open - where he was seeded eighth - was particularly concerning. Moreover, Bautista Agut is not exactly a traditional Spanish dirtballer; among all surfaces, his worst win percentage is on clay.

That said, the 32-year-old would have gained some confidence from his assured performance against Basilashvili. On Wednesday, he will look to deploy his strong forehand and good movement to keep Koepfer pinned behind the baseline.

The German, meanwhile, might be facing a bit of fatigue after his recent exertions. While his lefty angles and power have been working well for him over the past month, he might find Bautista Agut a little too solid from the back of the court.

Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in three sets.