MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Frances Tiafoe of United States plays a forehand in his first round singles match against Marco Trungelliti of Argentina during day two of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)
The talented Frances Tiafoe will go up against Germany’s Oscar Otte in the group stage of the 2023 United Cup.
The 29-year-old finished the season in 2022 in 76th place in the ATP rankings. Oscar Otte had a relatively decent season reaching two ATP 250 semifinals and two ATP 500 semifinals.
The experienced campaigner also broke into the top 40 for the first time in his career. On 27 June 2022, he reached a career-high ranking of world No. 36. Another notable result for Otte came in the Wimbledon Championships when he progressed to the third round for the first time at the grass-court major. He will hope to begin the new season on a high note but defeating Tiafoe is not going to be easy.
The American tennis pro began the new season with a win. He defeated Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in the first match as the latter had to retire during the encounter owing to an injury. That win helped the USA defeat the Czech Republic 3-1 in the clash. Previously, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys won their respective encounters.
Tiafoe’s attacking instincts were on display against Machac. He covered the court quite well in the first set. Machac was making a comeback in the second set before suffering an injury to his right ankle. Tiafoe won the encounter 6-3, 2-4.
Frances Tiafoe and Oscar Otte will be facing each other for the first time. Therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0.
Prediction: Frances Tiafoe to win in straight sets.
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