Kitzbuhel 2020: Jannik Sinner vs Philipp Kohlschreiber preview, head-to-head & prediction | Generali Open

Match details

Fixture: Jannik Sinner vs Philip Kohlschreiber

Date: 9 September 2020

Tournament: ATP Generali Open 2020

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Kitzbuhel, Austria

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €400,335

Match timing: Not before 12:30 pm CEST, 4.00 pm IST

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Jannik Sinner vs Philipp Kohlschreiber preview

Philipp Kohlschreiber is a former Top 20 player

After a disappointing five-set loss at the hands of Karen Khachanov in the opening round of the 2020 US Open, Jannik Sinner will look to get back on track when he takes on Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round of the Kitzbuhel Open. Both players have entered the competition via a wildcard.

Sinner hasn't had a very successful run so far in 2020. He has a win-loss record of 3-6, which includes a first-round loss at the US Open and a defeat against Salvatore Caruso in the qualifying round of the Cincinnati Masters.

The talented Italian is still new to the senior level, but his upcoming opponent, Philipp Kohlschreiber, turned professional the same year that Sinner was born. Kohlschreiber had made it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals back in 2012, and has eight singles titles to his name.

Unlike Sinner, Kohlschreiber did not travel to the US for the hardcourt swing. Instead, he competed in the Prague Challenger after the end of the COVID-19 break, where he lost to Micheal Vrbensky in the round of 16.

The World No. 75 has a win-loss record of 2-3 in 2020.

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Jannik Sinner vs Philipp Kohlschreiber head-to-head

Jannik Sinner leads Philipp Kohlschreiber by a margin of 1-0 in the head-to-head record. The two players had clashed last year in another Austrian city, Vienna, where Sinner tamed Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4.

Talking about their playing styles, Kohlschreiber is an all-courter with strong groundstrokes off both wings. He is solid on the baseline, and most of his title wins have come on clay.

Sinner on his part is almost the complete package. He has a huge serve and can strike the ball big off the ground, and he also knows when to go forward and put away a volley.

Jannik Sinner vs Philipp Kohlschreiber prediction

Jannik Sinner

It is worth noting that the previous meeting between Philipp Kohlschreiber and Jannik Sinner took place on hardcourt. Kohlschreiber has much more experience of playing on clay than his opponent, and he even played a few matches on the surface recently.

Sinner might take some time adjusting to the court's pace, given that he just played in two consecutive hardcourt tourneys. But once he finds his rhythm, he might have too much firepower for his older opponent.

Their match tomorrow will likely not be as lopsided as their first encounter, but Sinner can still be backed to progress to the second round.

Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in three sets.