Originally posted on 01/19/2019:

I have been following this tournament, and have been booking Kotov every match as an underdog so far. He is a young talent, and will rise in the rankings the next 2 years without a doubt. He got great mentality and nice variated strokes from both sides.

He is playing amazing, but so is Ortega-Olmedo. A spaniard with a onehanded backhand, who havent really produced anything worthing before this tournament imo. Here in Germany he is playing the tennis of his life tho. The onehanded backhand have been on point for him, and his forehand is a dangerous weapon. To be honest, I am having a tough time, siding either of those, because they have both been brilliant so far, but would give Kotov the slight egde for being the more talented of the 2.