Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Washington match.
Zachary Svajda is maintaining an impressive run in Washington. The American has already come through three rounds, including qualifying, and in the previous stage pulled off a surprise by knocking out Miomir Kecmanovic. Despite being seen as a clear underdog, his current form and confidence on hard courts suggest he’s capable of putting up a real fight.
Zachary Svajda
Since the start of July, Zachary Svajda has won eight consecutive matches and is currently in excellent shape. Even after conceding the first set 1:6 to Miomir Kecmanovic, he staged a convincing comeback with a 6:2, 6:2 finish. In main draw matches at home hard-court events since the beginning of 2024, he has won four out of nine. In all five defeats, Svajda either covered a +4 game handicap or managed to take a set — a sign of resilience and competitiveness.
Jiri Lehecka
In contrast, Jiri Lehecka has not played a match for nearly three weeks following an early elimination at Wimbledon, where he suffered a shock loss to Thomaz Bellucci. His recent record on hard courts has been disappointing, with first-round eliminations in Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami since late February. Even among his eight hard-court wins since last season, only three of those saw him win by more than four games. Lehecka often struggles to find his rhythm early in matches, which could be a factor again here.
Zachary Svajda vs Jiri Lehecka Prediction
Zachary Svajda has consistently performed well even against higher-ranked opponents. With home support behind him, he is expected to push Jiri Lehecka and cover the +4.5 games handicap.
