Hamburg Open 2022: Sebastian Baez vs. Filip Krajinovic Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Hamburg Open as Sebastian Baez takes on Filip Krajinovic in the first round on Tuesday, July 19th, 2022.

In-form Argentine Sebastian Baez will be looking to continue in his rich vein of form at the Hamburg Open. Having reached the final in Bastad, he will be looking to go one better this week.But he has been handed a very tricky opener in the shape of Filip Krajinovic. Who will prevail?

Sebastian Baez’s breakthrough year on the ATP Tour is getting better and better. Baez has now reached three ATP finals, the most recent one coming just last week at the Nordea Open in Sweden. During that run he defeated the likes of Fabio Fognini, Dominic Thiem and Andrey Rublev for his first career Top 10 win. Baez has one title to his name on the main tour which he won in Estoril just a couple months ago. Can he add a second crown at the Hamburg Open this week?

Filip Krajinovic, for his part, is returning to the Hamburg Open with plenty of optimism. The Serbian World No. 30 reached the final of this tournament last year, scoring a top 10 win in the process (defeated Tsitsipas), but fell short in his quest to win his first ATP title. That wait enters another year. The 30-year-old came close again to breaking his duck at Queens, but lost narrowly to Matteo Berrettini in the final. He hasn’t played competitively since a second-round defeat to Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon. Will he have the gumption to overcome the high-flying Baez.

Sebastian Baez and Filip Krajinovic have not played each on the ATP Tour. Tuesday’s match at the Hamburg Open will be their first official meeting. Baez is playing some of the best tennis of his young and storied career, but there is a cloud of uncertainty regarding his fitness and certainly after a very look and laborious week in Bastad. Krajinovic might take advantage in this one.