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Alexander Zverev Monte Carlo Masters 2021
ATP Tennis Players, Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments

BMW Open Munich – Tennis Tournament Preview


The BMW Open sees pro tennis return to Munich after a hiatus in 2020. Alexander Zverev will be on-court, but what else can you expect from the tournament?

Alexander Zverev continues his run as a staple of the Munich tennis scene, and will be looking to clinch a second title this year and third Munich title overall, his first two coming back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

Here, Tennishead previews the ATP 250 competition. When is it, who are the players competing, and what meetings could take place on the clay during the course of the event?

 

 

Dates

The 2021 BMW Open main draw takes place from April 26 – May 2. The tournament will be streamed on Tennis TV. For more information please refer to our watch guide.

Players

28 players will battle for the title in Munich this year. There are 8 seeds in total, the top 4 of which receive a bye into the second round. 2019 champion Cristian Garin and finalist Matteo Berretini are both absent from the draw.

Zverev is the only participant ranked in the world’s top-10, but the remaining seeds have strong tour and clay court credentials. Second seed Casper Ruud reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters this year, while third seed Aslan Karatsev secured his first ATP tour level title in Dubai and defeated Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Serbia Open on clay.

5th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili won Doha in March and has two clay titles at tour level, both in Hamburg in 2018 & 2019. Finally, 6th seed Dusan Lajovic was a finalist at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2019, and has one tour title, on clay in Umag, Croatia, the same year.

The table below lists the athletes participating, with seedings attached where appropriate.

 

BMW Open Munich Player List

 

Where is the event held?

The tournament is held each year at the MTTC Iphitos tennis club in Munich, Germany, on outdoor clay courts.

Ranking points breakdown, Singles

Winner – 250 points

Runner-up – 150 points

Semi-finals – 90 points

Quarter-finals – 45 points

Round of 16 – 20 points

Round of 32 – 0 points

Prize money breakdown, Singles

Winner – € 41,145 ($49,773)

Runner-up – € 29,500 ($35,686)

Semi-finals – € 21,000 ($25,404)

Quarter-finals – € 14,000 ($16,936)

Round of 16 – € 9,000 ($10,887)

Round of 32 – € 5,415 ($6,550)

 

 

Can I buy tickets for the tournament?

Due to current coronavirus restrictions, this year’s BMW Open is being played behind closed doors.

How can I follow the tournament?

You can follow the tournament on the official website, the official Twitter, or the official ATP Tour Twitter.

Possible Matchups

As long as Alexander Zverev makes it through Ricardas Berankis or Maximilian Marterer, the German could come up against 22-year-old Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in the quarter-finals. The two met for the first and so far only time at the Miami Open in March, where Ruusuvuori stunned Zverev in three sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Another meeting would provide the opportunity for revenge from the German.

There is potential for another interesting rematch in the opposite half of the draw. If 3rd seed Aslan Karatsev defeats his first opponent in the second round, he could face 20-year-old American Sebastian Korda in the quarter-finals, provided Korda wins his first two matches.

Korda and Karatsev have also battled on-court just once and also at the Miami Open, where Korda defeated Karatsev 6-3, 6-0 off the back of Karatsev’s maiden tour title in Dubai just over a week prior.

Zverev is likely to make the final from the top half of the draw, but it’s more of a toss-up between 2nd and 3rd seeds Casper Ruud and Aslan Karatsev, especially given Ruud’s elevated results on clay as compared to other surfaces. If that match-up comes to be in the semi-finals, it should be an exciting encounter.

(Photo credit Ray Giubilo)


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