Day 2 of the ATP tournament in Atlanta will feature several second round matches, with former champion Nick Kyrgios’s face-off against Kevin Anderson being the headliner. Brandon Nakashima, a finalist in Los Cabos last week, will also make his tournament debut on Tuesday. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Atlanta Day 2 Predictions
Yasutaka Uchiyama vs Benoit Paire
Head-to-head: Uchiyama 1-0 Paire
If Nick Kyrgios is mercurial and unpredictable, Paire is equally as much. You never know what you’re going to get with him in any given match. In fact, the last time he faced Uchiyama he was unceremoniously defeated 2 and 2 in Tokyo 2019. Talent-wise, Paire clearly has the edge. He’s actually won a few matches these past few weeks, so he might just have enough to pull through here.
Prediction: Paire in 3
Christopher O’Connell vs Denis Kudla
Head-to-head: O’Connell 1-0 Kudla
Tight and unpredictable matches are the staple of the day in Atlanta, and this one is no different. Kudla had some nice performances on grass and played well at Wimbledon, but has since been struggling. O’Connell hasn’t exactly been flying either and is a perennial journeyman of the ATP tour. Playing at home, Kudla should have the slightest of edges.
Prediction: Kudla in 3
Trent Bryde vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: first meeting
Usually predicting Nakashima to lose in the first round after all the physical and mental energy spent in his career-best week would be a safe option, but that’s not the case here. His opponent ranks outside the top 1000 and has virtually no experience at this level. While Nakashima will almost surely not replicate his Los Cabos run, he should at least get past this first round.
Prediction: Nakashima in 2
Kevin Anderson vs Nick Kyrgios
Head-to-head: Anderson 2-0 Kyrgios
The last time the Olympics were held, Kyrgios claimed the title in Atlanta in the same week. He’ll be looking to do the same this year as well. The Australian has played very little tennis in the past two years, only playing three tournaments so far in 2021–Melbourne, Australian Open, and Wimbledon, which makes him even more unpredictable than usual. Anderson, on the other hand, has been working hard to get back to form and was rewarded with the Newport title a few weeks back; he’s also won both head-to-head matchups between these two. Both players are huge servers and poor returners, which means tiebreaks are to be expected here. It’s an almost impossible match to call with any conviction, but this might just be another one of Kyrgios’s random good weeks.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
