Hubert Hurkacz vs. Frances Tiafoe Predictions: Tiafoe Need to Up His Game to Win

Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe, both top 20 players, will face off in the opening round of the 2022 Erste Bank Open.

Hurkacz began the season by guiding Poland to the ATP Cup semifinals, however he was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open. His next greatest results were semifinal appearances in Dubai and Miami. Carlos Alcaraz finished his championship defence there.

The Pole advanced to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time after reaching the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and Madrid. He won his first championship of the year in the Halle Open but was knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon. He subsequently advanced to his second final of the year, the Canadian Open, where he was defeated by Pablo Carreno Busta.

The 25-year-old was eliminated in the second round of the US Open. He has since advanced to the semifinals of the Moselle Open and the quarterfinals of the Astana Open. He fell to Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of the European Open last week despite having three match chances.

Tiafoe had a sluggish start to the season, not really getting going until the Miami Open, where he advanced to the fourth round. He then advanced to the semifinals in Houston before losing in the final of the Estoril Open against Sebastian Baez.

After that, the American had a string of early exits, and it wasn't until Wimbledon that he won consecutive matches. Tiafoe advanced to the fourth round at the All England Club, where he was defeated in five sets by David Goffin. He continued his strong form in Atlanta, where he reached the semifinals. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open the following week.

The 24-year-old was eliminated in the second round of Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati. He reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in the US Open, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. He subsequently assisted Team World in winning the Laver Cup before reaching his second final of the year at the Japan Open. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open last week by Emil Ruusuvuori.

During the return games, the American will have his work cut out for him. Hurkacz will not be threatened if Tiafoe performs as he did in his previous defeat. However, if he can boost his level, he may be able to make it a competitive match. It's expected to be a close match, and if it comes down to the wire, Tiafoe will have the advantage.

• Total Under 24.5 for 1.8
• Handiсap Hubert Hurkacz (-2) for 1.87
• Individual Total 2 Over 12.5 for 1.81