Vienna 2024: Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Erste Bank Open

Match Details

Fixture: (2) Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Date: 22 October 2024

Tournament: Erste Bank Open 2024

Round: First-round (Round of 32)

Venue: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria

Category: ATP 500

Surface: Hard-court (Indoor)

Winner's Prize Money: €2,470,310

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN

Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview

Alex de Minaur in action at the 2024 US Open (Picture: Getty)

Second seed Alex de Minaur is slated to open his 2024 Erste Bank Open campaign against Jan-Lennard Struff in a highly anticipated first-round clash on Tuesday, 22 October.

De Minaur enters the Vienna Open with a 41-14 match record this season and remains in contention for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. Currently ranked ninth in the race just behind Andrey Rublev, he needs to gather around 300 more points to surpass the Russian and secure a place at the year-ender.

De Minaur has won two titles this year, in Acapulco and 's-Hertogenbosch, defeating Casper Ruud and Sebastian Korda, respectively. He also reached the final in Rotterdam, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. However, his recent form has been hampered by injuries, and he hasn't had a strong showing in the lead-up to Vienna. Last week at the European Open in Antwerp, de Minaur suffered a disappointing quarterfinal defeat to Hugo Gaston.

Struff, meanwhile, enters the Vienna Open with a 27-17 match record for the season, highlighted by his title win in Munich, where he defeated Taylor Fritz in the final. Other notable results include a semifinal run in Gstaad, quarterfinal finishes in Stuttgart and Halle, and third-round appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Struff has missed a significant portion of the second half of the season due to a hip injury. His last victory came at the Olympics, and he most recently competed at the US Open, where he lost a grueling five-set battle to Laslo Djere in the first round.

Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff head-to-head

Alex de Minaur holds a 4-2 lead in his head-to-head against Jan-Lennard Struff, with their most recent meeting taking place at the French Open earlier this year. De Minaur won that encounter in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Alex de Minaur	-300	+1.5 (-800)	Over 21.5 (-130)
Jan-Lennard Struff	+220	-1.5 (+400)	Under 21.5 (-110)

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

Alex de Minaur vs Jan-Lennard Struff prediction

Jan-Lennard Struff in action at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships (Picture: Getty)

Alex de Minaur has struggled to rediscover his form from the first half of the season, partly due to an injury layoff and limited time on court. Jan-Lennard Struff also finds himself in a similar position, having missed a significant portion of the second half of the season. Both players enter this match on a cold streak, but de Minaur is considered the slight favorite.

The Australian holds a stronger match record this year, particularly on hardcourts, where he boasts a 24-8 record compared to Struff’s 6-10. He has a better indoor record, standing at 55-30, while Struff’s is 58-53. Additionally, De Minaur has reached an indoor final this season, while Struff is still searching for consecutive victories.

De Minaur has also won all of their previous encounters on the hardcourts and has just conceded one set to the German.

Despite their recent struggles, this clash between two powerful baseliners promises to be competitive. The outcome may hinge on who performs better on serve and can make early breakthroughs on return. Success will likely come down to who can attack the net and shorten points on Vienna’s fast surface.

Pick: De Minaur to win in three sets.