Holger Rune vs Miomir Kecmanovic Prediction – Tennis Picks 10-18-2023

Top seed Holger Rune will face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round of the 2023 Stockholm Open. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. 

Holger Rune will kick off his title defense at the 2023 Stockholm Open against an opponent who has struggled to replicate his strong form from the first half of the season. Rune is in his own mire right now, having won once in his last 10 matches at all levels. As a consequence, the Dane is now in danger of missing out on the eight-man party at the ATP Finals next month. Rune could be overtaken by some of the contenders outside the top eight spots in the race who are playing in Tokyo, an ATP 500 event. That means there will be little margin for error in his second-round match in Sweden.

Miomir Kecmanovic has performed poorly in the second half of the season. A campaign that began with genuine promise, saw the 24-year-old make finals in Delray and Estoril, in addition to a semifinal finish in Banja Luka. Despite falling short of clinching the top prize in those tournaments, Kecmanovic looked certain to cement his spot in the world’s Top 30. First-round exits at the French Open and Wimbledon contributed to his downfall. He is currently outside the world’s Top 50 coming into Stockholm.

These two players have never met each other at any level, but Miomir Kecmanovic will be buoyed by his first-round win over home wild card Karl Friberg. It was a good way to bounce back from his Shanghai shocker where he lost to World No. 179 Yunchaokete Bu. Both players have been in dire form. Rune’s struggles were physical, having played with a back injury in most of his defeats. But recent developments behind the scenes, including his coaching situation certainly weighed heavily on his shoulders, and it needed an intervention by his mother. We think the Dane could be set for another early exit here. The price on Kecmanovic to win a set offers great value (-200), and he’s worth a small fortune to back in the outright.