The not-so-surprising guest

Munar wasn’t among the four names we’d have checked at the start of the tournament to make the semifinals, and yet!

Between a manageable draw and retirements, Munar doesn’t care and he takes whatever he can get. He’s realistic and shows up in the semifinals without really being in the spotlight; he leaves that to others and just does his thing in his corner. It’s not the first time this season he’s pulled that off, and it’s clear he’s getting pretty consistent at it! With a finally effective serve and rock-solid resilience, this Spanish raccoon has mutated to become a bit more versatile on court. When he starts gaining confidence and serving well, he goes deep; his tournament reminds me of Dallas where he was playing particularly well. You have to take him seriously, but he has his flaws, and the biggest is his inability to play under pressure. This season he’s collapsed several times against locals carried by the crowd; he’s so capable of shitting himself when it’s time to close that it’s hard to trust him in those moments. I insist on this because every week we see Fonseca being pushed by the crowd and the Brazilian is mentally very strong—he can come back from far behind, so if Munar finds himself ahead to finish the set or the match, I think he might wobble. But before that, in the run of play, can he actually get ahead? For me, yes, given what he’s showing again today. Fonseca has enough power to overwhelm him, but the Brazilian isn’t yet at the same level throughout a match, and his fluctuations will be exploited by Munar, who on his side won’t give much away, as usual. I make Fonseca the favorite, but if the Spaniard’s odds are too high, I’d have no problem siding with him (to cash out live if he has to close!).