Well, if I'm hoping to keep my ten rubber-band balls, I'll find myself with a conundrum. Now, peering into my crystal ball, we've got ourselves a tricky situation. On the one hand, we have the young buck Terence Atmane, with the credit of having steamrolled through his recent contestants without too much strain on his joints. However, do note him losing to Mannarino, a bit of a thorn in his victory rose there.
Conversely, the 7th seeded Mr. Fritz hasn't been going on a complete joyride himself - he lost to both Fils and Sinner recently. Fritz, though, had prior victories over Tiafoe, Zverev, and Ruud, all decently notable adversaries on the tour.
Atmane, though he's been showcasing some real fight, he's not been up against someone with the caliber of Fritz as of late. Unseeded and all, he's not had the same tested matchups that Fritz has.
It feels a bit like betting on a three-legged race where one kid's got a pogo stick instead of a leg. Sure, it's quirky, but is it going to win the race?
But, hey, every dog will have its day and every seed its shade! Nonetheless, if it were my dollars and cents on the table, I'd be more inclined to bet on the seasoned Fritz over the plucky Atmane, despite the latter's recent run of good form.
Albert’s Prediction: Fritz in 3 sets.