The second round will be completed on Thursday at the 2021 ATP Andalucia Open in Marbella, Spain. The very interesting line-up includes an all-Spanish battle where one player is an astonishing 22 years older than his opponent. Who will make it to the quarterfinals?
ATP Marbella Day 4 Predictions
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Ilya Ivashka
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ilya Ivashka usually doesn’t play on clay much and the Belorussian outperformed the expectations when he made the second round over Pedro Martinez. Doing it again seems extremely unlikely though. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina played two great sets in his opening round and having grown up on the surface, he knows way better how to utilize its characteristics.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
Jaume Munar vs Fabio Fognini
Head-to-head: 1-1
Jaume Munar has been really dominant on the Challenger circuit this year and currently owns a 13-2 win/loss record there. It’s been a challenge to transfer that form to the main tour but the Spaniard might be set for a few deep runs during the European clay season. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Fabio Fognini and if red-lining, the Italian could expose Munar’s inability to push the opponent off the baseline. It seems more likely though that the Spaniard’s impressive consistency might see him through. Munar took their only clay court meeting in Buenos Aires two years ago.
Prediction: Munar in 3
Gianluca Mager vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: Mager 1-0
Both players perform their best on clay and it will be a real battle of who gets to dominate from the ground. Gianluca Mager plays with a level of aggression that you rarely see on this surface while Casper Ruud will try to lead the way with his huge topspin forehand. The Italian won their only head-to-head meeting in Rio last year and he’s also coming off a title at Marbella Challenger, held at the same venue last week. Ruud’s form is a lot more uncertain with zero matches on clay in 2021 and a recent retirement at Acapulco. All the match practice and time on the court in Marbella could be a huge asset for Mager here.
Prediction: Mager in 3
Carlos Alcaraz vs Feliciano Lopez
Head-to-head: First meeting
A battle between representatives of two different generations of Spanish tennis, Carlos Alcaraz being 22 years younger than Feliciano Lopez. The up-and-coming youngster has been making headlines in the tennis world since he was a kid and coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero, he is thought to be a future Grand Slam champion. He’s not quite there yet but he should be able to win this one. Feliciano Lopez is one of the rare Spaniards who don’t perform that well on this surface, mostly due to an attacking playstyle and lacking a reliable backhand outside of the slice, which is less effective on clay. He also shouldn’t be able to expose Alcaraz’s weak second serve.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
