Not the same Spaniards

The raccoon Munar facing the powerful Jodar

Munar is back after an arm injury that’s kept him out since Rotterdam. His start to the season wasn’t amazing, but he seemed to be gaining momentum and this break won’t help. His game is built on reliable physicality, so we’ll need to keep an eye on how he gets his rhythm back on slow clay. Speaking of clay, he seemed to have lost his identity on the red dirt because he’s been adapting more and more to faster surfaces, coming to the net and attacking. So there are quite a few doubts on his side.

Jodar is much more straightforward to read: he comes in after his first ATP title in Marrakech where he steamrolled his opponents, but I feel like the stars were a bit aligned with Muller being sick, Carabelli exhausted from his win the day before, and Trungelliti in the final. We know his potential and he’s starting to make it count, but there’s still a long way to go. On slower clay and against a top-tier defender, he’ll need to be careful not to get too carried away when he’s attacking. Playing in his home country is new too; expectations are high and the pressure will quietly be big.

First meeting between them, and we know Jodar will be the aggressor against a Munar who’s going to get everything back. Form is completely on Jodar’s side, but experience is on Munar’s side. Could that be enough for him to win?