Swiss Indoors Basel–ATP Tennis Preview

The 2019 edition of the Swiss Indoors should be very entertaining for one basic reason: the top three seeds were all together on the same team at the Laver Cup in late September. One of the three players spent a lot of time coaching the other two and in the weeks since the Laver Cup occurred, the two younger players coached by the older player have revived their 2019 tennis seasons. You can probably guess the names but you will find the details below and we handicap this week’s ATP tennis betting lines.

EVENT: SWISS INDOORS
CATEGORY: ATP TOUR – ATP 500
DATE: OCTOBER 19-27, 2019
LOCATION: ST. JAKOBSHALLE – BASEL, SWITZERLAND

LAST 5 CHAMPIONS

2018 – ROGER FEDERER
2017 – ROGER FEDERER
2016 – MARIN CILIC
2015 – ROGER FEDERER
2014 – ROGER FEDERER

BEST BET TO WIN IT

Roger Federer has won four of the last five Basel tournaments overall and each of the last four he’s played in (he was injured in 2016). He is naturally a good choice here but he will probably have stiff competition from at least one strong player if not two.

At the Laver Cup, Federer joined with Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas to lead Team Europe past Team World. Federer and Zverev both won singles matches on the final day of the three-day event to make the difference for Team Europe.

Entering that Laver Cup, which was played in Geneva, Zverev and Tsitsipas had both been struggling. Neither player had done anything of note since Roland Garros, when Tsitsipas played an epic five-hour match against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round and Zverev reached the quarterfinals. In July and August, neither player did anything. Tsitsipas had lost in the first round of four straight tournaments while Zverev was just 7-5 in his previous 12 matches. Laver Cup marked a time when Federer and Rafael Nadal coached both of them, but Zverev in particular. Since Laver Cup, both Tsitsipas and Zverev have been renewed as Zverev beat Federer in Shanghai while Tsitsipas beat Novak Djokovic there as well.

If Federer doesn’t win, Zverev or Tsitsipas likely will. Federer is still the best bet, but he might get a very good run from either one of these players.

BEST LONGSHOT WORTH A FLIER

David Goffin is the eighth seed here. He played in his home nation of Belgium the week before this tournament in Antwerp and he should have won the first set of a round-of-16 match in Shanghai against Federer, but he let that set get away. Maybe he can win an extra handful of points in a big match in Basel and change his fortunes.

He reached the final of Cincinnati earlier this year and has played quality tennis after struggling earlier in 2019. He’s still just 34-23 on the season but he’s 13-5 in his last 18 matches. He has a legitimate chance of making a run here, possibly upsetting Tsitsipas or Zverev, or also Federer if he gets the chance for revenge.

PLAYER TO AVOID

Fabio Fognini is one of the lower-seeded players in Basel and one you’d rather avoid for betting purposes – especially when talking about the futures to win this tournament outright. Fast hardcourts are not his surface.

Fognini is physically healthier after battling injury problems in September, but his consistency is always elusive. He’ll have to beat multiple elite players if he is to win this tournament and I’m not banking on that happening here.

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