Six Kings Slam Day 1 Predictions Including Jannik Sinner vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

The second annual Six Kings Slam is upon us as the top five ranked men’s players in the world and No. 24 Stefanos Tsitsipas head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to compete in a worthwhile exhibition. The tennis world has been abuzz about whether or not this event is good for tennis, but if last year was any indication, all six players will take this event seriously. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for both Day 1 matches. But who will advance?

Six Kings Slam Day 1 Predictions

Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz

Head-to-Head: Zverev 5-9

Alexander Zverev’s recent struggles against Taylor Fritz are very well documented. The American has bested the German in their last six meetings, winning 10 of the previous 11 sets played. On paper, this is a fairly even matchup, but sometimes in tennis, a mental block continues to spiral. Both players come to the Six Kings Slam off of second-round defeats in Shanghai. That said, Fritz made a run to the Tokyo final two weeks ago and has been playing better tennis than Zverev. I also think he’ll be a bit more motivated on Wednesday, something that has to be taken into consideration given the nature of the event.

Prediction: Fritz in 2

Jannik Sinner vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Head-to-Head: Sinner 3-6 Tsitsipas

Jannik Sinner lifted the first annual Six Kings Slam crown last year. Can he do it again? He gets what many may look at as a Wednesday tune-up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is subbing in for the injured Jack Draper. It has been debated why Tsitsipas, the current World No. 24, received the invite. This passive-aggressive shade from the tennis world may motivate the former No. 3 player in the world to play well in this match. However, his form suggests otherwise. The 27-year-old Greek has not won back-to-back matches since mid-April. His last win over a top ten player was 18 months ago. He does not have the level to keep up with Sinner, and I question whether he can even be competitive on an indoor hard court.

Prediction: Sinner in 2