Day 2 of the ATP Murray River Open is here! The schedule is chalk-full of exciting matches Tuesday, so today is must-watch television! Who will win and who will fall short? I give my best guesses here! We also have predictions for four other Tuesday matches in a second article.
ATP Murray River Open Day 2 Prediction
James Duckworth vs Tomas Machac
Head to Head: never played
James Duckworth hasn’t played yet in 2021. Duckworth will be looking to snap a skid at the end of 2020 where he lost six of his last seven matches of the season. Tomas Machac qualified for the Australian Open without losing a set. Machac won five of the six sets he played in qualifying 6-3 or better.
These two have never played before. Machac is a player to watch this upcoming season. He’s really good from the baseline and counterpunches at a very high level. Duckworth, who didn’t have to quarantine, plays decent tennis, but isn’t as dynamic of a player at this point as Machac. Duckworth will keep it close, but Machac will prevail in the end.
Prediction: Machac in 3
Yuichi Sugita vs Quentin Halys
Head to Head: 1-0 Sugita
Yuichi Sugita hasn’t played yet in 2021, so it’s unknown how his form will be. When he’s on, however, he’s a clean ball striker. Quentin Halys did well to qualify for the Australian Open. His straight sets win over Robin Haase in the final qualifying round was particularly impressive.
Sugita leads the head to head 1-0, but it was a grass court match, so don’t worry about the head to head. Halys is inconsistent, but when he’s on, he has a massive serve and can control the baseline well. Given that he started the season strong during Australian Open qualifying, I’m wondering if he is about to take the next step in his career. Halys moves on to the next round.
Prediction: Halys in 3
Elias Ymer vs Gilles Simon
Head to Head: never played
Elias Ymer played excellent tennis to qualify for the Australian Open. Ymer had a tough qualifying draw, but beat Marc-Andrea Huesler and Taro Daniel in the final two rounds to reach the main draw. Gilles Simon hasn’t played since Sofia last season. His form is unknown, but what is known is that he will force Ymer to hit a lot of balls to win points.
These two have never played before. Ymer is solid from the baseline and can step into his shots when given the opportunity. Simon plays flatter shots, but is very consistent from the baseline and requires high-quality offensive play to beat him. Ymer did so well to qualify for this event, but I’m not sold on his ability to beat a player with the quality and consistency of Simon.
Prediction: Simon in 3
Frederico Ferreira Silva vs Jiri Vesely
Head to Head: 1-0 Vesely
Frederico Ferreira Silva was one of the “surprise qualifiers” for the Australian Open. Ferreira Silva typically prefers clay, but only dropped one set against some tough competition. Ferreira Silva had to beat Lukas Lacko, Nikola Milojevic, and Gregoire Barrere in order to reach the main draw. Jiri Vesely dropped his only match of 2021 against Emil Ruusuvuori. It’s not a bad loss, but not great preparation for the Australian summer swing.
Vesely leads the head to head 1-0, but it was a clay court match in 2012, so irrelevant to this one. Both players are lefties, but Vesely has the bigger game. He can control the court with his huge serve and forehand. Looks for Vesely to overpower Ferreira Silva, who is more of a grinder, in this one. Vesely advances.
Prediction: Vesely in 2
Alexandre Muller vs Nick Kyrgios
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Head to Head: never played
Alexandre Muller didn’t qualify for the Australian Open, but he is into the main draw as a lucky loser. Muller beat Federico Gaio and Peter Polansky, but had a tough final qualifying draw matchup against Aslan Karatsev. Nick Kyrgios is a household name in the tennis world. He’s often in the spotlight, not always for the right reasons. Kyrgios hasn’t played since before the hiatus in Acapulco, so who knows the level of his play in this one.
These two have never played before. Kyrgios has the much bigger game, possessing a huge serve and powerful groundstrokes, while Muller is much more of a grinder. Kyrgios also has the advantage of not having to quarantine in the lead up to this match, while Muller did. This one will be a blowout, as Kyrgios should easily overpower Muller. Kyrgios advances.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
