Day 2 at the ATP 250 in Eastbourne features a very interesting matchup between last week’s surprise quarterfinalist Ryan Peniston and teenage sensation and Roland Garros quarterfinalist Holger Rune.
ATP Eastbourne Day 2 Predictions
Francisco Cerundolo vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: 0-0
Tommy Paul looked great last week at Queen’s before an horrendous performance against eventual champion Matteo Berrettini in the semis. Before that however, he found himself with good back-to-back wins against Shapovalov and Wawrinka regardless of both being out of form. Cerundolo on the other hand at Queens showed us just how lacking his game is on this surface. The only real success was his big forehand being able to fly through the court but the lack of an effective serve and a weak backhand wing when rushed make him far too vulnerable to get the win here.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Pedro Martinez
Head-to-head: 0-0
Truth be told, this is the last match many would want to see on a grass court but instead on a clay court instead where both of these men have had their most success on, most recently with Davidovich Fokina in the Monte-Carlo final. After a poor Roland Garros the higher ranked Spaniard did get two wins under his belt at Queens including a good one against De Minaur who won this very tournament last year. Martinez, on the other hand, despite still being ranked inside the world’s top 50 is on a seven match losing streak and it’s hard to see that ending on the grass courts here or at Wimbledon.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
Holger Rune vs Ryan Peniston
Head-to-head: 0-0
It’s safe to say no one expected Ryan Peniston to make the quarterfinals last week at Queen’s, taking out Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud en route, but as a wild card he sure did. Funnily enough, the man who stopped Holger Rune from progressing into the final four at Roland Garros just also happened to be Casper Ruud. Peniston has clearly shown that despite his ranking and needing wild cards to play these events, his game suits the surface with his lefty serve doing more damage than it should.
With Rune, the truth is no one knows what we’re going to get on the grass–this just being his second match on it, with the first being a loss. But being an aggressive baseliner with the serve only improving as he gets older, it’s fair to think he could potentially surprise on the surface, maybe not even in the future but at this very moment. Despite Peniston’s form and confidence, I think Rune’s huge forehand and serve as well as being able to hang with Peniston in longer rallies will get him his first grass court win.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
