ATP Tennis Tour: 2019 Rotterdam Open Predictions
The 2019 Rotterdam Open is one of the major tournaments on the ATP Tour in February. Many of the players have been in action following the Australian Open in January and are ready to continue the next stage of the tour.
This will be the 46th edition of the long-running event and the Rotterdam Open is played on indoor hard courts at the Ahoy Rotterdam Arena, in the Netherlands. It is part of the ATP Tour World 500 Series and takes place between the 11th and 17th February.
Withdrawals Make Nishikori Favourite
The current champion is Roger Federer but he will not be in Rotterdam to defend his title this year and the tag of favourite has passed to a different player. The number one seed for the 2019 Rotterdam Open is Kei Nishikori.
There have been a number of withdrawals due to injury ahead of the event and this has propelled Nishikori up to the number one spot. Having suffered from injury problems in 2018, the Japanese player made a good start to 2019, winning the Brisbane International title and reaching the quarter-final of the Australian Open.
Nishikori was forced to retire from the Australian Open but is fit enough to take part in this tournament as he looks to win the sixth indoor hard court title of his career. Nishikori is the 11/2 favourite with Ladbrokes to win the 2019 Rotterdam Open.
Second and Third Seeds Up Against It
The second seed is Karen Khachanov, who won the 2018 Paris Masters on an indoor hard court and that has put him on the radar this year. However, 2019 has not started well for the Russian and a potential meeting with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round could see him leave the tournament early.
Khachanov is 9/1 with William Hill to win the 2019 Rotterdam Open.
The third seed for the tournament is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who reached the semi-final of the Australian Open. The Greek has been labelled the next big thing in men’s tennis and it will be interesting to see how he lives up to the additional pressure. A loss in Sofia to Gael Monfils last week does not bode well and at 8/1 with Ladbrokes, this title could be out of his reach.
Raonic Fit
An interesting bet is fourth seed, Milos Raonic. The Canadian reached the quarter-final of the Australian Open and has reached the semi-final in his only previous appearance in Rotterdam. Raonic has struggled for fitness in recent years but as victories over Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka showed in Melbourne, he is a match for anyone on his day.
You can back Raonic at 7/1 with William Hill to win the 2019 Rotterdam Open.
Other Contenders
Two wildcards and a protected entry will also have their eye on the prize, including 2014 winner, Tomas Berdych who is 10/1, 2015 winner Stan Wawrinka who is 12/1 and 2017 winner Jo-Wilfred Tsonga who is also 12/1. All three players know what it takes to win in Rotterdam and will be hoping to at least reach the last four of the tournament.