Game, Set, Bet, presented by BetMGM: Alexander Zverev is the player to beat in Chengdu

Alexander Zverev played some great tennis at the 2023 US Open. Somewhat under the radar, the former world No. 2 made it all the way to the quarterfinals. After an an impressive third-round round win over Grigor Dimitrov, Zverev survived an absolute marathon against Jannik Sinner, earning a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the talented 22-year-old.

After that late-night triumph, Zverev used his post-match interview to announce that he is officially back. Fatigued, he ultimately fell in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz in his very next match, but he is nonetheless looking like one of the best players in the world again.

Zverev now heads to Chengdu, China as the favorite to this week’s 250-level event, and BetMGM currently has him listed at +185 odds to get the job done. And while those odds might not seem all that favorable, I do think Zverev will come away with his second title of the year.

Overall, Zverev's draw just doesn’t seem all that intimidating. His first real challenge will likely come in the semifinals, where he might have to face Dimitrov again. But that head-to-head series has been one-way traffic: after losing his first match to Dimitrov back in 2014, Zverev has defeated the Bulgarian six times in a row. And the bottom half of the draw also happens to be manageable. The best players in that half are Daniel Evans, Alexander Bublik and Lorenzo Musetti. But I’m not sure any of them have what it takes to beat Zverev right now. Evans is the one I'd be most nervous about, but there's no guarantee the Brit makes it to the final.

As long as the German doesn’t get in his own way, this is his tournament to lose. Nobody in the field possesses a weapon quite like the Zverev serve, and I also trust the 26-year-old's baseline ability against everyone in this draw. I also believe that the motivation is there for Zverev. He has done some nice things this season, but he needs to add to his trophy collection in order to continue to build confidence. These are the types of events that a player like him must win.

Bet: Zverev To Win Chengdu Open (+185)