Day 2 of ATP Munich features a few of the seeded players stepping out onto court for the first time such as former Masters finalist Serbian Dusan Lajovic. Most noticeably it also features a whole bunch of matches between players who have never met before! We also have predictions for matches featuring Taro Daniel and Nikoloz Basilashvili.
ATP Munich Day 2 Predictions
Dusan Lajovic vs Mackenzie McDonald
Head-to-head: 0-0
There was a time where American McDonald’s career was on an upwards trend but that’s no longer the case, following 18 months of being ranked outside the top 100. In qualifying here he managed to gain two good wins over Peter Gojowczyk and Andrej Martin, but Lajovic will be an entirely different proposition, especially on the dirt. Saying that the Serbian has lost his last three matches on tour and has not won back-to-back matches since the Australian Open. This could be tighter than most people expect but Lajovic should be able to change his fortunes and get a much needed win.
Prediction: Lajovic in 3
Dominik Koepfer vs Philipp Kohlschreiber
Head-to-head: 0-0
It feels like Kohlschreiber’s career is full of questions about what could have been, especially with that glorious one-handed backhand of his. Now ranked outside the top 100 and needing a wildcard to get entry to Munich, it’s safe to say the game is almost up for the 37-year-old. At the back end of last year Koepfer made the quarterfinals of the Masters event in Rome, barely losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, so there’s no doubt he knows how to play on this surface, despite poor recent results though the higher ranked German is most definitely favourite to take this one. Unfortunately, Kohlschreiber isn’t the player he once was.
Prediction: Koepfer in 3
Daniel Elahi Galan vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-head: 0-0
It would be an understatement to say that Sebastian Korda hasn’t made big strides the past six months, from qualifying for Roland Garros and eventually making the second week losing to the one and only Rafael Nadal, he’s backed up that good showing with two challenger wins alongside a quarter-final showing in Miami a few weeks ago. Should the talented young American play at the level he has as of late there’s no reason he shouldn’t win this one routinely.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Pablo Cuevas vs Tennys Sandgren
Head-to-head: 0-0
Ten losses in his last 12 matches, that’s the story of the end of 2020 and start of 2021 for Tennys Sandgren–not exactly what you would expect from the world #62. Thankfully for his case for all the good 35 year old Cuevas has achieved on the clay in his career, he hasn’t played for over two months. This one is going to be very ugly, a man who only returning to the tour against one who’s struggling for wins. It really could go either way but I’m edging slightly towards the Uruguayan.
Prediction: Cuevas in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
