Zachary Svajda vs Miomir Kecmanovic

ATP Washington 1st Round Preview: Zachary Svajda vs Miomir Kecmanovic

🧠 Form & Context

Zachary Svajda
🔥 Challenger confidence: Coming off a title run in Newport where he beat Mannarino, Spizzirri, and Watanuki—all in straight sets or tight wins.
🎯 Qualifying form: Beat Tomic and Watanuki again here in D.C. to reach the main draw—confidence is real, especially on American hard courts.
📊 Hard-court experience: Svajda has played over 130 hard-court matches in his career, with a respectable 2025 record of 8–11 at tour level.
📈 On the rise: Peaked at No. 102 in the rankings, currently sitting just outside the top 150 but gaining momentum with each tournament.
🇺🇸 Home turf: Strong crowd support and familiarity with U.S. conditions always help his counterpunching, physical style.

Miomir Kecmanovic
🪙 Inconsistent year: A mixed bag in 2025—20–19 record with a title in Delray Beach but first-round losses in Rome, Madrid, Acapulco, and Indian Wells.
📉 Recent dip: Post-Wimbledon, he’s 1–3 in his last 4 matches (losses to Evans, Marozsan, and Djokovic), with stamina and focus often fading late in sets.
📍 Washington resume: R16 appearances in 2019 and 2024 but not known for making deep runs in U.S. summer swing.
🧠 Mental game: Often struggles against consistent baseliners who don’t give him rhythm—something Svajda excels at.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Kecmanovic enters as the favorite based on ranking and overall experience, but this is a potential landmine matchup.

Svajda’s recent Newport title was no fluke—he beat Mannarino and handled big servers with ease. On U.S. hard courts, he’s tactically sharp, physically reliable, and thrives when absorbing pace.

Kecmanovic has the bigger weapons, especially off the forehand side, but he’s shown vulnerability when pressed into long rallies and his return game isn’t airtight. If Svajda can extend points and pressure his second serve, the American could drag this into a dogfight.

The key stat here: Kecmanovic has gone to three sets in 7 of his last 11 matches. If he doesn’t dominate early, Svajda’s chances skyrocket.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Kecmanovic in 3 sets.
Svajda will make this physical and tight, and the crowd will be behind him, but Kecmanovic’s experience in handling pressure and ability to raise his level late in matches may just see him through—barely.