Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP 500 match.
In the second round of Basel, local tennis player Dominic Stricker, who received a wildcard for the tournament, will face Holger Rune, seeded fourth. Will class and experience prevail over desire and the support of the home crowd?
Dominic Stricker
The 22-year-old Swiss player is not even in the top 200 of the world rankings and currently sits at 258. This match will be only his tenth at the ATP level this year. He played in two Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon and the US Open, but lost both of his first-round matches in four sets. His best run in 2024 came at the ATP 250 in Stockholm, reaching the third round just before Basel. He was stopped by Grigor Dimitrov from the top 10. In the first round in Switzerland, he also faced a challenging opponent—Tallon Griekspoor, ranked 35th. By converting two out of two break points, Stricker defeated the Dutchman 6:4, 6:4.
Holger Rune
The Dane had a slightly tougher time in the first round, winning by only a three-game margin (6:4, 7:6 (7:3)). He did not significantly surpass Nicolás Jarry in any statistical category, but he had nearly 40% fewer unforced errors (17-27). Rune had just four tournaments this season where he didn’t win his opening match, and he hasn't claimed any titles in 2024.
Dominic Stricker vs Holger Rune Prediction
The players haven’t faced each other before, which is understandable since Stricker, despite being in the ATP tour for his fourth year, hasn’t played more than 19 matches a season. The experience of the world number 14 should make a difference, and Holger Rune is expected to win in two sets.
