Day 2 of the Swedish Open in Bastad will see a handful of first round matches take place with former champion Albert Ramos Vinolas taking centre stage. Nicolas Jarry and Juan Ignacio Londero – two players who have been in excellent form on the dirt – will also be in action. Who will advance at the Swedish Open on Tuesday?
ATP Swedish Open Day 2 Predictions
Nicolas Jarry vs Henri Laaksonen
Head-To-Head: First meeting
Nicolas Jarry has been a breath of fresh air on tour this year, especially on the dirt. Perhaps the only downside to his fledgling career is his inability to convert those match points in Geneva in the championship match, as he fell short in his quest to claim his maiden ATP title. Chile already boasts an ATP title winner this year in the shape of Cristian Garin, but Nicolas Jarry is not far off from putting his name in the winners list.
His opener in Bastad will be against Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen, who has been relatively quiet on tour this year. But Laaksonen has had more joy on the Challenger circuit, where he has won two titles (Bangkok and Rome), both on clay. Despite Laaksonen’s strong form on clay it is hard to look past Jarry to win here, particularly when he brings his powerful serve and forehand into play.
Prediction: Jarry in 2
Albert Ramos Vinolas vs Constant Lestienne
Head-To-Head: First meeting
Former Swedish Open champion Albert Ramos Vinolas was a Top 30 player up until last April last. In fact, he was a ranked inside the World’s top 20 before that, and famously made the finals of Monte Carlo in 2017. He has since tumbled down the rankings and enters this year’s event in Bastad hovering just inside the Top 100 (at No.99).
The Spaniard won a measly four matches from the start of Wimbledon 2018 until the end of the year. He has made small improvements in 2019, like reaching the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires and Rio, and will carry huge momentum from a semifinal showing in the Challegner event in Perugia a couple of days ago. The 31-year-old is a potent ball striker who thrives from long exchanges from the back of the court. Constant Lestienne is coming off his best result of the year. The French journeyman reached his first quarterfinal of 2019 at Challenger level at Ludwigshafen two weeks ago. But given Ramos Vinolas’ pedigree on clay, I have to side with the Spaniard.
Prediction: Ramos Vinolas in 2
Ernests Gulbis vs Hugo Dellien
Head-To-Head: First meeting
Ernests Gulbis thrives at these low-key tour-level events. The flamboyant Latvian has won six ATP tour titles (none bigger than a 250), and reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2008 as a teenager. But despite his loss of form and injuries over the last few seasons, he still remains a very dangerous player, if only sporadically. The man from Riga has won only five matches on tour this year and faces 25-year-old Bolivian Hugo Dellien, who is an excellent prospect.
Dellien may not be the most popular player of his generation hailing from South America, but he has had a few eye-catching displays in 2019 on both the ATP and Challengers tours. It is also this year when he broke inside the Top 100. Dellien will need to be patient and aggressive on his return to thwart the power game that Gulbis usually brings to the table. Given Gulbis’ inconsistency, Dellien has a shot to upset him here.
Prediction: Dellien in 3
Jeremy Chardy vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-To-Head: Chardy 3-1 Carreno Busta
Frenchman Jeremy Chardy may fancy his chances of adding a second ATP title this week (ten years after his solitary win in Stuttgart). If he can reproduce the form he showed in Madrid a few months ago where he reached the Round of 16–beating the likes of Diego Schwartzman and Albert Ramos Vinolas in style–he should have a chance. However, the 32-year-old’s form has tailed off since coming very close to taking his first ever set against Novak Djokovic in 13 attempts in that run at the Caja Magica, winning only three matches between Rome and Wimbledon.
His task will not be easy in the first round. He takes on the rejuvenated Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who seems to have shaken off an adductor injury which hampered his progress the last few months. The 28-year-old needed qualifiers to get into the main draw, but he navigated that route safely. While Chardy may take solace from the fact that he leads the series 3-1–winning their most recent encounter on clay in Estoril prior to Roland Garros–Carreno Busta is poised to make amends in this one, having already adjusted to the clay courts of Bastad by playing two qualifying matches. His grinding style of tennis will give Chardy plenty to ponder as he makes the difficult transition from grass.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
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