How could I forget it?

Three years ago, in this same tournament, Ofner squandered a lead of one set and 5-0 against this same Molcan. A lot has happened since then, but the trauma might still be there.

This is surely the biggest defeat of Ofner’s career from a mental standpoint, given that it’s a tournament that really means a lot to him. He was playing at home and was calmly in front before completely panicking and suffering a legendary comeback. So yes, it’s already been three years and it’s no longer that fresh. I’m not sure the two of them will still have that in mind when they step on court, but there might be thoughts here and there, especially if Ofner were to take the lead and serve for the match. For me, that’s the first scenario to anticipate: if Ofner has a big lead on the scoreboard and we have a bet on him, we’ll need to hedge without the slightest doubt.

Now let’s talk about recent form. It’s always a bit tricky to get a read on Ofner because he can put together very interesting weeks, then lose in the first round playing badly, as was the case in Bastad, in conditions that don’t suit him. He likes fast conditions, he likes it when his serve can earn him points, and he likes to take control quickly. I think this week his game can work better and that he’s shown a good enough level this year to be able to aim for a big run in a tournament. He’ll need to rise above the pressure of playing at home and also avoid getting dragged into a false rhythm against Molcan. Once he gets through all that, we might see a very dangerous Ofner.

Molcan can impose his own rather particular tempo. He’s a player with a lovely left-handed touch, who knows very well how to sprinkle in little drop shots, and also surprise with good counterpunching. He defends well, he’s quite smart. Even if his game isn’t naturally suited to clay at altitude, he’ll be able to gain a bit of power and could also be an outsider to watch this week. He’s coming off an excellent tournament in Umag. He ended up losing to Dzumhur when he was spent. He fought some great battles there, the level was still very good. Now he needs to adapt to the altitude, but once he gets through that, he can be very dangerous this week.