In-Form Cuevas @ 5/1 is set to grind out the title on the Hamburg Clay this week.

The German Open Tennis Championships got underway on Monday and I wanted to observe one player in particular on opening day before deciding where the best value lied here in Hamburg on the ATP Tour.

Top seed Phillip Kohlschreiber at 3/1 is the tournament favourite and has to be massively respected on home courts having produced by far his best tennis and tournament successes In German competition throughout his career.

Second seed Benoit Paire is at 10/1 and has the talent to pop up at any time but has been dreadfully out of form all year and wouldn't put no faith in him at even that price. 
It was the third seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay that I wanted to see on Monday before committing, as he took on the in-form German and home favourite Florian Mayer who collected the Halle title prior to Wimbledon, all be it on grass but has got very decent ability on clay also.

Cuevas got the job done 6-4 6-3 and has only been snipped from 6/1 to 5/1 following that straight sets victory.

Cuevas who is rick solid on clay and comes here in excellent form having impressed in Nottingham on the grass reaching the final on a surface he held no form on prior to this summer.

This can only bode well for a serious assault on this 500 point ranking event that holds little real class amongst his rivals this week.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev is 4/1 second favourite and he is a star of the future. He goes well on all terrains and must also be respected but after a busy and physical few weeks where he reached the Halle final and went well at Wimbledon, this week could have come round a bit quick for the classy teenager and preference is for Cuevas at 5/1 with Ladbrokes and Betfred or 9/2 General.

Cuevas ranked just two places below Kohlschreiber at 24 in the World is better value at almost double the odds and with a round under his belt.

Kohlscreiber and Paire come into the competition on Tuesday whilst Cuevas next takes to the court on Wednesday where he is 2/9 to beat Thiago Monteiro and would not face Kohlschreiber until the semi-finals. The winner of this match should claim the title and Cuevas who leads this head to head series 2-1 that included a win in May on the Madrid clay and is taken to lift the Hamburg Title come Sunday.

Recommendation 

ATP Hamburg - German Open Tennis Championships.

Pablo Cuevas to win Outright @ 5/1 Ladbrokes & Betfred or 9/2 General. Runner-up 1/3f