It always feels like the start of a new season when the red clay of Europe comes back onto our screens. For some players the dirt brings salvation and the possibility of more ranking points, for others it is a swing to tolerate rather than celebrate. Regardless, LWOT will be here reporting, previewing and predicting the action, including every match on day two at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters, including Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov vs Diego Schwartzman. But who will reach the second round?
ATP Monte Carlo Day 2 Predictions
Sebastian Korda vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Head-to-head: van de Zandschulp 1-0 Korda
This is a tough one to call. Both players have fairly similar serve oriented games and both have positive experiences on clay. The trends are perhaps slightly more in the Dutchman’s favour, he certainly has the better win percentage both generally over the year and specifically on clay. Botic van de Zandschulp also has a slightly more successful return game and has had a clay court tournament already last week so is acclimatised to the surface. All of this allows probably makes the Dutchman the likelier winner, for all of Sebastian Korda’s quality.
Prediction: van de Zandschulp in 3
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Jaume Munar vs Federico Delbonis
Head-to-head: Munar 3-2 Delbonis
Both of these players know their way around a clay court very well. However, Jaume Munar is very much the man in form between the two. The Spaniard comes off the back of (another) clay-court Challenger title in Marbella and qualified for the main draw with wins over Monaco’s own Hugo Nys and Oscar Otte of Germany. Federico Delbonis, meanwhile, is on a five-match losing streak, but there can be no doubt the return to his preferred should help him snap that streak sooner or later. Indeed, Delbonis was the victor in their last meeting and shouldn’t be taken lightly regardless of form. However, Munar’s game looks better suited for this surface and Delbonis might just have to wait a little longer for that precious win.
Prediction: Munar in 2
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Hubert Hurkacz vs Hugo Dellien
Head-to-head: first meeting
Whilst Hubert Hurkacz is one of the best players in the world on other surfaces, he has a pretty shocking record on clay. His last twelve months have brought only one win on the surface on the main tour and that is coupled with four defeats. Therefore he may well end up being up against it when he takes on Hugo Dellien, who reached back-to-back Challenger finals, winning one of them, in March and, being South American, is very much at home on the clay. Indeed, expect the Bolivian to get a relatively rare ATP Masters main draw win here as Hurkacz takes his time to warm up to the terre battue.
Prediction: Dellien in 2
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Jannik Sinner vs Borna Coric
Head-to-head: first meeting
A first meeting between two wunderkinds of their own generation. Jannik Sinner is still only 20 of course but has already achieved a top 10 ranking, but has yet to totally convince all quarters that he has the ability to win the very best tournaments. Borna Coric, meanwhile is very much on the road to recovery but having held #12 in the world in his own tender years certainly has the ability to trouble the Italian in this match. However, Sinner tends to do well in the early rounds of tournaments in terms of beating the players that he “should” beat. This’ll be a good match for Coric on his way back as well as it will give him more information in terms of what he has to do to get back to the level he was at previously.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
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