Can Altmaier pull off a surprise?

Does Daniel Altmaier like the hard court more than clay? This impression could almost be created when looking at the German’s match in Round 1 of Indian Wells. The man from Kempen surprisingly beat local hero Sam Querrey in two sets and now challenges No. 23 of the seedings Grigor Dimitrov.

With another surprise win, he could then possibly even avenge his compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber and take his “defeater” Taro Daniel out of the tournament. Before that is the case, the 23-year-old will first have to make it as an underdog.

Between Grigor Dimitrov of Daniel Altmaier, the odds on the side of the DTB ace are 3.40 at the top. A 1.40 on the side of the Bulgarian makes the clear favourite position of baby Federer clear. The match will take place on Saturday evening in Indian Wells and will not start before 20:00 German time. However, the organisers have yet to announce the exact date.

Bulgaria Grigor Dimitrov – Statistics & current form

Grigor Dimitrov looks back on a very mixed year in 2021. The biggest highlight came right at the beginning when he reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. After that, it was virtually all downhill and there were many early defeats. Injuries also played a part in his slide down the world rankings to 28th place, with Dimitrov having to retire in his respective matches at the Grand Slam events in Paris and Wimbledon, among others.

Does the Bulgarian’s body cooperate?

During the main court season, only the semi-final appearance in San Diego stands out. There, the 30-year-old narrowly failed to beat Norway’s Casper Ruud in three rounds. There are signs of an upward trend ahead of the Masters event in Indian Wells and Saturday will show whether the Bulgarian can back up his improved form. In his opening match, as is often the case, it will be a case of finding the right balance of offence and defence.

With his one-handed backhand and very variable game, he can be dangerous to any opponent in the world on a good day. However, the error rate has often been too high in recent weeks and months, and on the fast surface in the States, it will be interesting to see how quickly the favourite finds his rhythm.

Hard to start for the favourite?

With a few teething problems, a loss of the first set wouldn’t be too surprising and between Grigor Dimitrov and Daniel Altmaier, it’s safe to predict that the match will be closer than the pure betting odds suggest before the match begins.

Germany Daniel Altmaier – Statistics & current form

At the age of 23, Daniel Altmaier is still at the beginning of his career. After the breakthrough almost exactly a year ago at the French Open (Round of 16), the journey upwards continued steadily. In August, he reached 106th place, his best position in the world rankings so far, and a move into the top 100 is probably only a matter of time. The man from Kempen also won his first two tournaments at Challenger level.

Is Altmaier finally going to crack the Top 100?

Altmaier won the two home tournaments in Braunschweig at the beginning of July and in Lüdenscheid at the end of August. With the exception of the short grass season, the youngster has been almost exclusively on red ashthis year. The only appearance on hard court in Miami was short-lived as Altmaier had to retire early against Japan’s Mochizuki. All the more surprising was his strong performance in Round 1 against Sam Querrey.

Starting the match as the underdog, the man from the DTB camp showed a furious performance. Seven aces and not a single double fault underline that especially the serve was a big weapon on this day. Querrey was beaten with four breaks and the 6:2, 6:4 was highly deserved in the end.

Can the German build on his performance from Round 1?

With the newly gained self-confidence, the seeded Bulgarian should now be annoyed. Should Altmaier be able to play with as much pressure from the baseline as he did on Thursday evening, another surprise cannot be ruled out. In the pairing of Grigor Dimitrov vs. Daniel Altmaier, a tip can at least be made that the match will be very exciting and close.

Grigor Dimitrov – Daniel Altmaier Direct comparison / H2H-balance

The direct comparison between Grigor Dimitrov and Daniel Altmaier is not suitable for a prediction, as the two players have never met in their careers. This is only slightly surprising as the German has only been on the professional tour for a short time and has played his matches almost exclusively at Challenger level. Dimitrov, on the other hand, has been an integral part of the world elite for many years. On Saturday, the paths of the two players will cross for the first time.

Bulgaria Grigor Dimitrov – Daniel Altmaier Germany Tip

The starting position in the odds is quite clear. Grigor Dimitrov, who is almost 100 positions higher in the world rankings than his upcoming opponent, is rightly favoured. The Bulgarian recently showed an improving form in San Diego and wants to confirm this at the Masters event in Indian Wells.

However, his opponent Daniel Altmaier should not be underestimated. The 23-year-old pulled off a real surprise in Round 1 and his clear underdog victory over local hero Sam Querrey was very convincing, especially in his manner.

Altmaier hardly made any unnecessary mistakes and acted very offensively and powerfully from the baseline. Should the underdogs manage a similar performance on Saturday, they can pose a threat to the favourites from Bulgaria. The youngster can be expected to win at least one set and between Grigor Dimitrov and Daniel Altmaier you can bet on a 2:1 victory for the world number 28. Four units are selected as the stake size for this value bet