The ATP Tour has landed in Estoril, Portugal where sixth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas is looking to defend his 2021 title. The final first round matches will be wrapped up here on Day 2 with the likes of Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, Richard Gasquet, and the aforementioned Ramos-Vinolas all in action. We at LWOT have all the previews and predictions for Day 2 in Estoril. We have four in this article, and four in a separate article.
ATP Estoril Day 2 Predictions
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-Head: Ramos-Vinolas leads 2-0
Albert Ramos-Vinolas comes to Estoril defending his 2021 title after defeating Cameron Norrie in a three-set thriller a season ago. The sixth-seeded Spaniard begins his title defense against Australian Jordan Thompson. Thompson has struggled to find his footing in 2022, stringing together back-to-back match wins just once this season. Clay has never been his best surface which will present major problems for him in this Round 1 match. Ramos-Vinolas career winning percentage is nearly 20 points higher on clay than all other surfaces. Pair that was the opportunity to defend his title and I think the veteran Spaniard rolls.
Prediction: Ramos-Vinolas in 2
Pierre-Hughes Herbert vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-Head: Korda leads 1-0
Eighth seed Sebastian Korda takes on veteran Frenchman Pierre-Hughes Herbert in Round 1 here in Estoril. 21-year-old Korda is looking to shake off his 3-6 0-6 defeat to Carlos Taberner last week in Barcelona. Pierre-Hughes Herbert has been playing a lot of Challenger events of late and should relish this main draw opportunity after making his way through qualifying. Korda won their only head-to-head on clay, 7-6 6-4 in 2021. Although I do think Herbert will be more than ready for this opportunity, I believe the young American bounces back from his previous defeat.
Prediction: Korda in 3
Jiri Vesely vs Hugo Dellien
Head-to-Head: Dellien leads 1-0
Hugo Dellien has won a fair share of his recent qualifying matches, but has struggled once he enters the main draw of a tournament. The Bolivian is looking to buck that trend this week as he takes on Jiri Vesely. Vesely had a great run in Dubai two months ago, beating Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov on his way to a runner-up finish, but has struggled to find his footing since. Both players favor the clay so it will be interesting to see how they combat each others weapons. I slightly favor Hugo Dellien, who holds a 16-4 record at all levels since the beginning of March.
Prediction: Dellien in 3
Tommy Paul vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-Head: First meeting
#7 seed Tommy Paul makes his European clay-court season debut in Estoril against veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Both men are looking to get a good footing on this surface that has treated them well in the past. Paul is hoping to be seeded for the first time in his career at a Grand Slam when the tour turns to Paris in late May. Picking up some wins over the next month is crucial for the American. 35-year-old Richard Gasquet is clearly winding down his great career, but has given some top players battles as of late. This should be a very tricky match for the young American, but I like his chances to advance.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
