Day 1 in Vienna was filled with thrilling tennis and the action picks up even more on Day 2. Who will move a step closer to lifting the trophy and who will fall short? We give our best guesses! We also have predictions for matches featuring Grigor Dimitrov and Frances Tiafoe.
ATP Vienna Day 2 Predictions
Marton Fucsovics vs Cameron Norrie
Head to Head: 2-0 Norrie
Marton Fucsovics played well in Antwerp last week, making the quarterfinals. This included a second-round victory over Roberto Bautista Agut where Fucsovics held Bautista Agut to only 55% of his service points won. Cameron Norrie is playing his first match since winning the Indian Wells title. Norrie played incredible tennis, using his heavy lefty forehand and flat backhand to perplex opponents.
Norrie leads the head to head 2-0, including a 1-0 lead on hard courts. If both players were at 100% and completely focused, Norrie’s awkward lefty game would be very tough for Fucsovics to solve. However, Norrie will most likely not be totally locked in, with Indian Wells still on his mind and with a huge change in surface, as he’s going to another continent to play on indoor hard after just playing on a high-bouncing outdoor hard court. Fucsovics is hitting the ball very cleanly and will get the job done here. Upset special in Vienna.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 3
Gianluca Mager vs Dennis Novak
Head to Head: tied 1-1
Gianluca Mager qualified for Vienna, taking down both Alexander Erler and Dominik Koepfer in three sets to make the main draw. Mager made at least 78% of his first-serve points in both qualifying matches. Dennis Novak has had an uptick in form recently. Last week in Antwerp, he qualified for the main draw, generating 27 break points in the two qualifying matches.
The head to head is tied, with Novak winning the only indoor hard court meeting, but Mager winning the most recent meeting (Kitzbuhel this season). Novak is a really solid player who hits his spots nicely, but he doesn’t quite have the power that Mager has. Mager is comfortable on the courts, having qualified, with the win over a solid player in Koepfer especially impressive. I think he edges this match out.
Prediction: Mager in 3
Lloyd Harris vs Casper Ruud
Head to Head: 2-0 Ruud
Lloyd Harris had a good week in Antwerp, making the semifinals before falling to the red-hot Jannik Sinner. Until the semifinals, however, Harris hadn’t dropped a set and was serving well. Casper Ruud is playing his first match since Indian Wells, where he beat Harris before running out of steam in the next round against Diego Schwartzman in the round of 16. Ruud is showing that his forehand is a threat on any surface.
Ruud leads the head to head 2-0, including a come-from-behind win in Indian Wells a couple weeks ago. Ruud’s forehand is a huge threat and he will look to control the baseline with his forehand. Harris utilizes a power game, with a huge first serve that sets up himself up well, and ferocious groundstrokes to finish points. However, in Antwerp against Sinner, he seemed lower energy and like the season was starting to take its toll. And against Ruud off two weeks of rest and who has a return game that can give Harris problems, look for Ruud to edge this match out.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
