Day 2 at the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal has an absolutely loaded slate of matches that will keep both the casual and diehard tennis fan entertained. Of the 21 matches set to take place on Tuesday, a fourth-round Australian Open rematch between Matteo Berrettini and Pablo Carreno is one to keep an eye on. We at LWOT have the coverage of that match as well as all other happenings around the grounds of Montreal. We split the day’s 16 new matches (there are also some holdovers from Monday) into four articles. In addition to this one, the other articles feature Nick Kyrgios vs Sebastian Baez, Hubert Hurkacz vs Emil Ruusuvuori, and Fabio Fognini vs Holger Rune. But who will advance?
ATP Montreal Day 2 Predictions
Grigor Dimitrov vs Alexis Galarneau
Head-to-Head: first meeting
#15 seed Grigor Dimitrov squares off against Canadian wild card Alexis Galarneau in Round 1 at the National Bank Open. Dimitrov, who has won just two matches since Roland Garros, is looking to right the ship on his favorite surface. He has a great chance at doing so against the current World #237. Galarneau, who I saw in person at the Sarasota Challenger back in April, is making his tour-level singles debut on Monday. The North Carolina State University product has never beaten a top-100 ranked player. Dimitrov should roll.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 2
Frances Tiafoe vs Benjamin Bonzi
Head-to-Head: Tiafoe 2-0 Bonzi
Frances Tiafoe and Benjamin Bonzi will meet for the second time this season after the American bested the Frenchman at Roland Garros 7-5 7-5 7-6. Although Tiafoe won that match in straight sets, not much separates these two in their current form. I was impressed with how Tiafoe looked in Washington, bowing out to eventual champion Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals after having five match points in the second set. Tiafoe seems to play his best tennis at big events and the Masters 1000 Canadian Open certainly fits that mold. I see the American advancing in a tightly contested three-set battle.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
David Goffin vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Head-to-Head: Goffin 1-0 Ramos-Vinolas
Wild card David Goffin and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are set to square off in a late-night battle on Court 5 in Montreal. On what is a loaded day of tennis, do not look past this veteran battle. Both players favor the clay as their favorite surface which creates an interesting matchup on the hard courts of Montreal. Goffin is 5-9 on the surface this season while Ramos-Vinolas has yet to win a hard-court match in two tries. After a slow start to his season, the Goffin made a round 3 run at Roland Garros and a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon to find some form. I like him to continue in these ways, especially against the Spaniard who holds a 69-120 career hard-court record.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
Matteo Berrettini vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-to-Head: Berrettini 1-0 Carreno Busta
2022 has been somewhat of a tumultuous year for 26-year-old Matteo Berrettini. A right-hand injury sidelined him for nearly three months and a positive COVID-19 test kept him out of Wimbledon. However, when he has been on the court this season, the Italian holds a record of 21-7. One of those victories came over Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round of the Australian Open. The 31-year-old Spaniard has had his fair share of up-and-downs this season, though, all of his struggles have come on the court. Berrettini is 12-1 since his June return from right-hand surgery and is poised to have a phenomenal hard-court swing. I see him besting Carreno Busta in two sets.
Prediction: Berrettini in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
