Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Washington Open match.
Both players arrive in good form, but Fritz's heavier serve and stronger forehand give him the clearer edge on hard courts.
Taylor Fritz
The 28-year-old American, seeded third, has made a successful start to the tournament, beating Zizou Bergs 6:3, 6:4 in 79 minutes and earning his 250th career win on hard courts. He saved all four break points he faced and did not drop serve, hitting eight aces. Although he mentioned some slight discomfort in his knee dating back to the Wimbledon Championships, he has been controlling rallies at the Washington Open, dictating play with his powerful forehand and a strong first serve.
Kamil Majchrzak
The 30-year-old Pole is enjoying the best season of his career, having climbed to 72nd in the rankings. Kamil Majchrzak has already won an ATP 250 title on grass at the Libéma Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, and in the last 32 at the Washington Open he produced the tournament's biggest surprise so far by defeating Tommy Paul 7:5, 7:6. Against Paul, he won 76% of points behind his first serve and showed resilience in prolonged baseline rallies. However, against top-10 opponents on hard courts, the Pole has historically had a negative record (one win and four defeats), as he lacks the firepower to trouble the very best players.
Taylor Fritz vs Kamil Majchrzak Prediction
The only head-to-head meeting between the pair came on hard courts at the Indian Wells Open in 2022 and ended in a comfortable 6:1, 6:1 win for Fritz. We do not expect Majchrzak to produce another upset against a second consecutive high-ranked American. Fritz holds serve more reliably than Tommy Paul and will not allow the Pole to slow rallies down to the softer tempo he prefers. The American should have the edge thanks to his more powerful forehand and aggressive returning against his opponent's second serve.
