Day 2 at the ATP event in Atlanta will feature plenty of exciting action, including 2016 champion Nick Kyrgios playing his first tour match since his run to the Wimbledon final, where he lost a close four-setter to Novak Djokovic. He might be the headliner, but there will surely be other interesting and tight matches to watch. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Atlanta Day 2 Predictions
Jack Sock vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: first meeting
Sock seems to be having a bit of a resurgence of late, but Paul has actually been having a very consistent season (outside clay at least) and looks set to break the top 30 soon, especially with the hard court season coming up. He’s definitely the favorite to come through here, although Sock can’t be underestimated.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Quentin Halys vs Ilya Ivashka
Head-to-head: Ivashka 1-1 Halys
Their previous two meetings were very long ago; right now Ivashka is looking like the better, more consistent player and should have the edge in this one. He’s fresh off a very positive grass season, where he only lost to Top 5 ranked players, and hard courts should bring the best out of him.
Prediction: Ivashka in 2
Dominik Koepfer vs James Duckworth
Head-to-head: first meeting
Both players have had very difficult seasons, although Duckworth did have some nice wins during the grass court season. It should a very close match that can genuinely go either way, but you’d maybe give Koepfer the very slightest of edges.
Prediction: Koepfer in 3
Nick Kyrgios vs Peter Gojowczyk
Head-to-head: first meeting
On paper, you’d easily favor Kyrgios in this one, but he’s the type of player who might struggle with the “grind” of a first round ATP 250 event after coming off the bright lights of Wimbledon. He could very well disappear for a while after such a fantastic run, but the reality is Gojowczyk has hardly shown any signs that he’s currently capable of scoring a big win. An unfocused Kyrgios could still have enough to make it through and of course we can’t exclude the possibility of him using the Wimbledon run as a springboard to become a more regular top player.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
