Like we do for the Grand Slams, us at LastWordOnTennis are here to predict the biggest matches of the year for you. At the ATP Finals, that means every match. The second day’s matches feature Rafael Nadal against David Goffin and Dominic Thiem against Grigor Dimitrov. Picking these matches are myself (Yesh Ginsburg), Ryan Schick, and Brett Margolies.
ATP Finals Day 2 Predictions
Grigor Dimitrov vs Dominic Thiem
Ryan:
Thiem has never been great on hard courts, and has struggled to win matches since his meltdown at the US Open against del Potro. Dimitrov has not been at his absolute peak, but he was victorious in the hard court Masters tournament in Cincinnati. The indoor court speeds will presumably be fairly quick which plays to Dimitrov’s advantage and he’ll take the match. Prediction: Dimitrov in 2
Brett:
It’s tough to give any advantage to Thiem the way he’s playing right now, but he has the experience factor of playing in London last year at the ATP finals. Other than that he’s just been in terrible form this fall and I don’t think this week will be any different. Dimitrov always likes the big stage, so this tournament seems to be right up his wheelhouse. I think Dimitrov might struggle early on, but will eventually get comfortable and win.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
Yesh:
Dimitrov closed the season decently, while Thiem did not. This is still a good opportunity for the young Austrian to play his way into form against the World’s best, but right now Dimitrov is probably just too consistent. It will be interesting to see how Thiem plays, because that will tell us a lot about his later matches.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
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Rafael Nadal vs David Goffin
Ryan:
Goffin has played well of late and may be able to take advantage of Nadal not playing at full health. However, Nadal’s form has been superb this year, and Goffin may have next week’s Davis Cup final on his mind, so Nadal will win easily barring injury.
Prediction: Nadal in 2
Brett:
It’ll be interesting to see how Nadal looks in his first match with the knee issues being a big talking point heading in to London. I don’t think he would give it a go if it we’re too big of a deal so I expect him to be in good form this week. In his two matches against Goffin he’s won in straight sets and I can’t see that changing tomorrow either. Nadal wins easily and makes a statement that the knee won’t be an issue.
Prediction: Nadal in 2
Yesh:
This match is impossible to predict because we still don’t know if Nadal is healthy. Honestly, right up until the match we might now know if Nadal is even going to play. On a fast indoor court, though, Goffin is very solid. I expect the Spaniard to struggle in this match even if healthy.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
