After a rain affected first day in Rio, day two will be a busy day of the tournament. With sixteen matches taking place across four courts, here is my predictions for the top four matches of the day.
Rio Open Day 2 Predictions
Dominic Thiem vs Laslo Djere
The first match of the night session on Quadra Guga Kuerten sees the World #8 against the Serbian Laslo Djere. Thiem has endured a shaky start to the year and has really struggled with both fitness and form since making the final at Roland Garros. Last week was the first time he ever lost a match at the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires, losing in a final set tiebreak in the semifinals to Diego Schwartzman. He is proving to be somewhat on an enigma on tour, and is struggling to be consistent week in week out. Djere has also struggled this year, winning only one of his five matches. This is the first meeting between the pair, and I expect the Austrian to come out all guns blazing as he is looking to return to winning ways. However, if Djere can stay with Thiem for the first set, this one could be very close.
Prediction: Thiem in 2
Pablo Cuevas vs Diego Schwartzman
The final match of the night session promises to be a close match as last weeks Buenos Aires finalist Diego Scwartzman takes on Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. The pair have met twice on clay before, with Cuevas winning both encounters. However, over the past year Schwartzman has improved considerably as a player, winning the tournament last year. Expect a high quality encounter, with many long rallies. Although not possessing the height of Cuevas, Schwartzman is a remarkable mover and has amazing firepower in his shots. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated players in the game. It’s a tough one to call, but I predict the Argentine to get the win in a tight three setter.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
Marco Cecchinato vs Aljaz Bedene
Last week’s Buenos Aires champion Marco Cecchinato has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the ATP World Tour. He reached the semifinals of Roland Garros and is the last player to knock out Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam. Aljaz Bedene is ranked inside the top-100; however, he has lost four of the seven matches he has played this year and is struggling to put up consistent results on the tour. The pair have met once before with Bedene winning in two straightforward sets on the hard courts of Winston-Salem four years ago. However, the Italian has vastly improved as a player since then. I predict the Italian to come through in two tight sets.
Prediction: Cecchinato in 2
Juame Munar vs Leonardo Mayer
This promises to be an another interesting match between NextGen star Juame Munar and Argentine Leonardo Mayer. Munar has been playing some great tennis over the past year and qualified for the NextGen finals in Milan. Mayer has been struggling for form in recent months, however he will feel more comfortable back on the red clay. This is the first meeting between the pair, and I expect a tight three set match. Both are clay courts specialists, but I think Munar will be able to outlast the Argentine and outhit him from the baseline.
Prediction: Munar in 3
