Is Dani coming out of depression?

5 matches in 2026, 5 defeats, not a single set won for Daniel Atmaier...

And yes, it really is a rough stretch for the German right now. But things are getting a bit better, and we’re waiting for the right moment to back him. His last match, against Lajovic in Rio, was his most accomplished one even though it ended in pretty dramatic fashion and his return game was disappointing. Today, he’s facing last year’s finalist. Fokina is playing well at the moment. Not at his peak, but very well. He suffered from the frantic tournament schedule last season and I think he’s now taking a bit more care with his calendar (he skipped Delray Beach). He likes the tournament, the conditions, and he has some revenge to take: actually winning a tournament one day. He’s never faced Altmaier in an official match, but I like his profile in this match-up. He’ll logically be a strong favorite here, maybe even a bit too much. There are two main things that make me think the only thing worth trying here is a games over: first, that Fokina tended to struggle to maintain his intensity in the first round in Dallas last week, and second, that Altmaier is kind of a madman right now. And a madman can either get blown out or do something crazy. I have the feeling he’s going to give it everything and at least grab a tie-break here. He ABSOLUTELY needs to get his season going. If the lines are too low, I think it’s reasonable to try something...