Firenze Open 2022: Alexander Bublik vs. Cristian Garin Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Firenze Open as Alexander Bublik takes on Cristian Garin in the first round on Tuesday, October 11th, 2022.

Will Alexander Bublik showcase his indoors prowess when he takes on Cristian Garin at the Firenze Open? Or will the Chilean stun the mercurial Kazakh? This should be a lot tighter than what the odds suggest.

Alexander Bublik almost invariably blows hot and cold, but boy does he play supreme tennis when he is on. Bublik was seemingly untouchable at the Montpellier Open earlier this year – his first indoor hard-court tournament of 2022. Back then, he defeated a gaudy list which included Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP title. Bublik came close to replicating that feat, finishing runner-up in Newport and Metz respectively. He couldn’t make an impression at his home tournament at the Astana Open this past week, losing in the second round to Hubert Hurkacz.

Cristian Garin, meanwhile, felt the full wrath of a hungry and determined Novak Djokovic at the Astana Open. The Chilean was thrashed 6-1 6-1 by the eventual champion and will be keen to write off that defeat when he takes to the courts of the inaugural Firenze Open. Garin has compiled a 17-20 record for the season, which pales in comparison to the last three seasons (all of which ended with at least a title win). His ranking has since slipped to 81st and arrives Florence with one win in six matches.

Cristian Garin leads Alexander Bublik 1-0 in their head-to-head. Their solitary meeting was in 2020 at the Hamburg Open in that entertaining quarterfinal which will be fondly remembered of that cheeky Bublik underarm serve. Garin has been on a freefall in 2022. After a poor season on the clay courts of South America, and persistent injury issues, the Chilean is no longer a force that once decimated opponents on his beloved surface. And given this second encounter between the pair at the Firenze Open is on an indoor hard court, Bublik should be able to keep points as short as possible and grind out a win against a struggling opponent.