The in-form man

Tabilo is formidable on this Asian swing — it'll take 'prime Giron' to beat him!

After winning a title and coming off a tough stretch, everyone expected Tabilo to fold quickly last week against Bergs, yet he held up well. I think he hasn't played much this year so he's relatively fresh despite a high recent match count. This week he comes through qualifying and will inevitably be dangerous. Giron gets this difficult draw but the American likes that kind of fight and he's starting to play well again too. Last week he almost deserved to beat Korda in a high-level match; he was very effective at returning and making his opponent play as much as possible. That's a strategy he needs to reproduce here — Tabilo relies heavily on his serve and is solid in rallies up to a point. Tabilo's form is intimidating and you don't really want to lay a player who is winning so many matches, but Giron is coming back strongly and I think his form doesn't yet reflect how dangerous he can become at this stage of the season. As for the matchup, it's their second meeting but the first was on clay. In extreme conditions, with players already feeling it, I believe Giron has value — if the match is tight and close, he has the edge.