The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell reaches its 67th edition. Last year’s tournament was Stefanos Tsitsipas’ breakout party but, ultimately, home hero Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy for a whopping eleventh time. Will the King of Clay bounce back after his shocking loss versus Fabio Fagnini in Monte Carlo? For now, we will be examining four first round clashes.
ATP Barcelona Day 1 Predictions
Feliciano Lopez vs Fernando Verdasco
Head to Head: Lopez 5-5 Verdasco
Career wise, the two seasoned Spaniards boast the best résumés among all players competing on Monday. However, their current form is concerning. 37-year-old Lopez has dropped from No. 30 to No. 88 in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, Verdasco skipped Indian Wells and Miami due to the birth of his first son Miguel. Following a six-week hiatus, the hard-hitting lefty failed to collect a win at Marrakech and Monte Carlo. A matchup against a colleague often goes beyond Xs and Os, but I think the slow conditions suit Verdasco better.
Prediction: Verdasco in 2
Mackenzie McDonald vs Taro Daniel
Official Head to Head: 0-0
Unofficial Head to Head: Daniel 1-0 McDonald
As far as I’m concerned, surface plays a pivotal role in this matchup. The dirt has always been Daniel’s favorite playground. The Japanese even captured the watered-down ATP 250 Istanbul Open in 2018. On the other hand, McDonald’s prowess on clay is a massive question mark. The fact that zero of his ranking points were obtained on the red stuff is unbelievable. Prior to this week, the former UCLA star, currently world No. 60, had never played a pro tournament at any level away from the United States.
Prediction: Daniel in 2
Jaume Munar vs Pedro Sousa
Head to Head: 0-0
Lopsided affair this should be. The Portuguese struggled to defeat Spanish 15-year-old wunderkind Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of qualifying. On the other side of the net, Munar has established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the main tour. Within the last fortnight, the Mallorca native arguably outplayed both Alexander Zverev and Borna Coric. Hence, his clay-specific ELO Rating is higher than Roger Federer’s. Not a typo.
Prediction: Munar in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Reilly Opelka
Official Head to Head: Fritz 1-0 Opelka
Unofficial Head to Head: Fritz 3-1 Opelka
Another duel featuring buddies, quite challenging to predict. One thing is clear: both guys will rip the ball as hard as they can. Did you know Fritz and Opelka faced off in Valldoreix, merely seven miles away from Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, at a Futures back in 2015? Reilly the Giant has been the steadier player so far this season, but his Southern California rival picked up two laudable victories over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Diego Schwartzman in Monte Carlo. Every point they snag on clay is a bonus. Their season resumes in June.
Prediction: Opelka in 3
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