Day two at the ATP Rotterdam Open will see twelve players battle it out for a place in the second round, with six intriguing matches on the slate in the Netherlands’ second city. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Stan Wawrinka vs Karen Khachanov. But who will book their place in the last 16?
ATP Rotterdam Open Day 2 Predictions
Alex de Minaur vs John Millman
Head-to-head: de Minaur 1-0 Millman
Alex de Minaur, despite all the hype that surrounds the young gun, will most likely never turn out to be a world beater. Whilst he is extremely fast around the court and capable of hitting winners off both wings, his overall game lacks that something special that sets apart those at the very top of the game. The same can be said, more or less, of his opponent, the veteran John Millman, another Australian who has a very solid baseline game, but doesn’t offer much else.
There should be plenty of long rallies, with neither man likely to miss very often. But these days it is the younger of the two Australians who is the superior player. In fact, it is hard to think of anything that Millman does better than de Minaur. As much was apparent in their previous match in Zhuhai in 2019, which de Minaur won comfortably, 6-1 6-3. It is hard to see any reasons why their match in Rotterdam should end differently.
Prediction: de Minaur in 2
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Hubert Hurkacz vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: first meeting
Without exaggerating too much, had Mannarino played anything like his best tennis, he probably would have won the title last week in Singapore pretty handily. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, not only did he put in a shocking performance against Radu Albot in the quarterfinals in Singapore, after the long trip from Asia to the Netherlands, he now finds himself up against one of the more dangerous players in the draw at the ATP Rotterdam Open.
The 24-year-old Hubert Hurkacz may have lost his last three matches, but the world #30 has been slowly but effectively working his way up the rankings and his game will surely click back in to place sooner rather than later. At his best, Hurkacz’s attacking game can be a joy to watch and the indoor conditions in Rotterdam should give him the advantage thanks to his big shots and powerful serve. If he can hit more than he misses, expect him to advance.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 2
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Egor Gerasimov vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: Gerasimov 1-1 Tsitsipas
Egor Gerasimov can be a hard man to understand. The Belarusian went from losing to the qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the second round at the Australian Open, winning just a single game, to reaching the semifinals in Montpellier, beating former-world #1 Andy Murray in convincing fashion along the way. Even if that loss to Karatsev looks more respectable in hindsight, Gerasimov is clearly not the most consistent performer, but there is also evidently a good player in there.
But being a good player won’t be enough for him to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek is only getting better and better. Indeed, despite a poor showing in the Australian Open semifinals, it was a tournament to remember for the Greek, whose game and mentality are clearly improving. In short, Tsitsipas is far too solid these days and whatever Gerasimov throws at him is unlikely to be enough. The Greek has reached a point in his career where he won’t beat himself.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
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