The Main Draw of the ATP Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco kicks off on Monday. Day 1 has six main draw matches, and we’re here to predict all of them for you. We look at three matches in this article, and three in a second article.
ATP Acapulco Day 1 Predictions
Dominik Koepfer vs Gerardo Lopez Villasenor
With all due respect to Lopez Villasenor, this doesn’t deserve to be a match at an ATP 500 level event. The Mexican has never cracked the Top 500 in his career, yet this is his third straight year being given a wild card into this event. To be fair, he acquitted himself relatively well in those two matches (vs Steve Johnson in 2019 and Marcos Giron in 2020), but he couldn’t claim a set in either. I don’t expect this match to look any different. Lopez Villasenor just can’t compete at this level. Expect an easy Koepfer win.
Prediction: Koepfer in 2
Laslo Djere vs Steve Johnson
Johnson has played very little since the sport resumed last summer, and he didn’t perform particularly well in those matches either. The former college standout likely can still crack the Top 50 or 30 if he finds his consistent game again. To do that, though, he’ll have to play consistently. Johnson just hasn’t had a chance to do that recently. Djere, meanwhile, isn’t much better than Johnson. He’s solid, though, and much more match-ready than the American, which will matter.
Prediction: Djere in 2
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev
Alcaraz is a rising star, while Zverev is already a Slam contender. Alcaraz was incredible on the Challenger Tour to end 2020, and he followed it up with an impressive run in Australian Open qualifying. Still, he has a long way to go to be able to take down a Top 5 player, especially on a hard court.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
