Miomir Kecmanovic arrives with a clear psychological advantage over Sebastian Baez, having won all three of their previous meetings across three different surfaces. Their opening-round contest at the Generali Open gives Baez another chance to reverse that trend, but his recent results suggest a difficult task.
Raphael Collignon, meanwhile, enters Kitzbuhel after one of the strongest weeks of his career in Gstaad. The Belgian reached the final, but the physical cost of that run could create an opening for Daniel Altmaier.
Match Picks at a Glance
| Match | Key Context | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Miomir Kecmanovic vs. Sebastian Baez | Kecmanovic leads the head-to-head 3-0 on grass, indoor hard courts, and clay. | Kecmanovic in 3 sets |
| Daniel Altmaier vs. Raphael Collignon | Collignon played four three-set matches during his run to the Gstaad final. | Altmaier in 3 sets |
Kecmanovic Has Solved Baez Before
Sebastian Baez began the year 7-0, but his record since then stands at 12-16 over his last 28 matches. Most of those matches came on clay, the surface where the Argentine has traditionally been most comfortable.
Baez was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Andrey Rublev in the Bastad quarterfinals last week. That result adds pressure to a matchup in which Kecmanovic has already established a commanding head-to-head edge.
Kecmanovic won 6-3, 6-2 when the pair met in Eastbourne in 2024 on grass. He also prevailed in three sets at the Paris Masters on indoor hard courts later that year, before winning their five-set French Open encounter on clay in 2025.
The Serbian has also shown competitive form recently despite narrow losses. He took Jannik Sinner to five sets at Wimbledon and then fell 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the Gstaad second round.
Altmaier Gets a Timely Opportunity
Raphael Collignon defeated Lorenzo Sonego, Valentin Vacherot, and Juan Manuel Cerundolo to reach the Gstaad final. His run ended with a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, but it lifted the 24-year-old Belgian to a career-best ranking of No. 37.
Collignon did not have an easy route through the tournament. Four of his matches went the distance, while his straight-set win over Sonego still required two tiebreaks, 7-6(2), 7-6(5).
Altmaier comes in better rested after winning one match in Bastad before losing 6-4, 6-4 to eventual runner-up Luciano Darderi. The German has not previously faced Collignon, making the Belgian’s demanding Gstaad schedule an especially important factor in their first meeting.