Day 2 in Houston will bring the first full day of tennis from the beautiful River Oaks Country Club. None of the top 4 seeds are in action yet due to byes, but there are several top players in action including Sam Querrey, former World #8 Janko Tipseravic, and last year’s finalist Tennys Sandgren.
ATP Houston Day 2 Predictions
Mackenzie McDonald vs Henri Laaksonen
Head-to-head: First meeting
Laaksonen snuck through qualifiers in two tight three-setters to get into the main draw. McDonald is enjoying success on his second full competitive season on tour after graduating from UCLA. McDonald has shown to be a competitive player both in Majors and throughout the season, with his quick rise into the top 60. Laaksonen has dealt with injuries and inconsistent performance and only has one ATP tour-level win this year. The difference will be the fact that McDonald has limited experience on clay with no wins on either the ATP or Challenger tour, and Laaksonen’s experience as the older player will prevail.
Prediction: Laaksonen in 3
Santiago Giraldo vs Bradley Klahn
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Giraldo has dealt with some injuries and has seen a decline in form as he has reached the age of 31, fighting through qualifiers to reach the main draw. Klahn missed over two years with injury issues but has battled through Challengers to reach the top 100. Both players are fairly comfortable on clay. This match will be competitive with Klahn benefiting from the fact that Giraldo lost a day of rest due to rain delaying the final round of qualifying and he will win a close one.
Prediction: Klahn in 3
Sam Querrey vs Bjorn Fratangelo
Head-to-head: 1-1
Sam Querrey has slowed down since his excellent 2017 which saw him spend much of the season ranked in the top 15. Fratangelo has had an up and down career mostly in lower-level tournaments, but is comfortable on all surfaces. Clay is Querrey’s worst surface, but he has played in Houston 10 prior times and is a two time finalist. Querrey will win comfortably on his quest back to being the top American.
Prediction: Querrey in 2
Janko Tipsarevic vs Tennys Sandgren
Head-to-head: First meeting
The final match of the day should also prove to be the most exciting. Tipseravic is a former Top 10 player who fought injuries his entire career. He was given a wild card into the tournament with his ranking falling outside the top 300. Sandgren burst onto the radar when he reached the quarterfinals at last year’s Australian Open. Hard court is not his only strength, as he reached the final here in Houston last season. Sandgren has not always been consistent, but his favorite surface is clay and he is simply a better player than Tipsarevic right now.
Prediction: Sandgren in 2
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