Vienna Open 2022: Jannik Sinner vs. Cristian Garin Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Vienna Open as Jannik Sinner takes on Cristian Garin in the first round on Wednesday, October 26th, 2022.

Jannik Sinner is playing for the first time since injuring his ankle in Sofia. On paper, he has an innocuous opening-match against clay-court expert Cristian Garin. But is match fitness going to be an issue for the Italian young gun? Let us take a closer look at this match in detail.

Jannik Sinner was going for a three-peat in Sofia, and had it not been for a freak ankle injury he suffered in his semifinal match against Holger Rune, he could have completed the feat. Sinner, though landed awkwardly while trying to hit a forehand on the run. He retired with just a game to go, and almost ended his slim hopes of qualifying at the ATP Finals in Turin. He is already qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals where he famously won the event a couple of seasons ago, and it will be interesting to see if he will play it this year. Sinner arrives at the Vienna Open for the fourth time, having made the semifinals stage last season, losing to Frances Tiafoe in a classic.

Cristian Garin, for his part, is not having a lot of joy lately, or for pretty much the whole of 2022. But you certainly cannot count him out to spring an upset particularly given Sinner’s unknown condition on that sprained ankle. At 5/1, the Chilean comes in as a heavy underdog, largely due to his indifferent form on clay and hard courts. He did put together a scintillatingrun at Wimbledon where he reached his first quarterfinal there, but it has been a train wreck of a season for a man who was ranked inside the world’s top 20 just a few months back. Can he rediscover his winning touch at the Vienna Open?

Jannik Sinner and Cristian Garin have not crossed paths on the ATP Tour. Monday’s match at the Vienna Open will be their first official meeting. Sinner is clearly the superior player and court conditions suit his big game style. But there is a concern his movement might be hampered. Ankle sprains can be tough to overcome in such a short space of time and the astronomical odds Garin is engraved with make him an enticing pick here.