The stacked field at the Vienna Open has already produced thrilling clashes like the day one epic between Kevin Anderson and Dennis Novak. On day two, even more top players are facing off hoping to make headway in one of the few tournaments left in the truncated 2020 season.
ATP Vienna Open Day 2 Predictions Including Karen Khachanov vs Grigor Dimitrov
Embed from Getty Images
Novak Djokovic vs Filip Krajinović
Head to head: 1-1
One of the ATP tour’s quirkier stats that persisted for a decade was Filip Krajinović’s winning record over Novak Djokovic who retired from their quarter final match in Belgrade in 2010. In Rome this year, Djokovic got his revenge winning in straight sets. Krajinović managed to push the world number one to a tiebreak in the first set, but Djokovic has been close to unbeatable in 2020 and eased to victory. This match, on Djokovic’s preferred hard courts is unlikely to be much of a contest. The only question is whether Djokovic will show up fresh and on his game, or if he will need time to get back to playing his best after his heavy defeat to Nadal in the French Open final.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2.
Embed from Getty Images
Stan Wawrinka vs Cristian Garin
Head to head: 1-0 Wawrinka
Stan Wawrinka and Cristian Garin have only played each other once before and that was on clay, the best surface for Wawrinka’s big shots. In that match, Garin did not come within a mile of victory. Wawrinka has not been at his best in 2020 and the hard courts of Vienna will not match his natural game as well, but his power and experience will be enough to take out Garin. For his part, Garin has been playing well recently. He pushed Karen Khachanov to four sets on clay at the French Open and reached the semifinals of the German open where it took a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas three sets to finally dispatch him. Wawrinka is too skilled to overcome so early in the tournament.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 3.
Embed from Getty Images
Aljaž Bedene vs Dan Evans
Head to head: 0-0
Bedene and Evans have never played each other before, however, Evans has played more tennis recently and had better results. Evans also sits 20 spots higher in the rankings and has the kind of game that can slice and dice a rhythm-based player like Bedene. Evans’ most recent defeats have been hard fought and at the hands of very strong players. He pushed Kei Nishikori to five sets in the first round of the French Open on his least favorite surface. At the St. Petersburg Open he came out second best in a battle of the one-handed backhands to Stan Wawrinka but not before winning the first set and forcing a tiebreak in the second. Bedene is more than capable of defeating Evans, but given the variety Evans has in his game and the way he has been playing recently it is unlikely the Slovene will find a way.
Prediction: Evans in 3.
Embed from Getty Images
Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov
Head to head: 0-0
Grigor Dimitrov and Karen Khachanov have managed to avoid each other on the ATP tour even though they’ve both been high ranked players for years. In the absence of head to head information, their recent form would be the best indication of how the match might turn out, however, that too is murky. Neither has been close to their best. Khachanov’s recent marquee run was at the French Open where he fell in the fourth round to eventual finalist Novak Djokovic. Dimitrov was also defeated in the fourth round, by Stefanos Tsitsipas in three tight sets. Dimitrov is a natural fit for hard courts, but Khachanov’s power can diffuse any player’s weapons. The match is hard to predict, but Khachanov’s power game is marginally more reliable than Dimitrov’s overall talent so the slight edge goes to the Russian.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3.
Main image:
