It’s Day 2 of the ATP Millenium Estoril Open, where the remaining first-round matches will be concluded. The most intriguing match of the day features U.S.A.’s rising star Ben Shelton-—playing on the red clay for the first time on the main tour-—taking on Constant Lestienne. Who do you think will come out on top? We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Estoril Day 2 Predictions
Albert Ramos Vinolas vs Jurij Rodionov
Head-to-head: first meeting
Historically, the Spaniards have played with distinction at the Estoril Open. One of them is Albert Ramos Vinolas, who has been on the winner’s podium before on the Portuguese Riviera. And it is unlikely that Jurij Rodionov will hurt him or be equally effective as he has been outside red clay. In fact, the Austrian played on indoor hard courts a couple of days ago at the Lille Challenger. So it could take him a while to find any sort of rhythm on the dirt. Expect the former champion to end his four-match losing streak.
Prediction: Ramos Vinolas in 2
Joao Sousa vs Giulio Zeppieri
Head-to-head: first meeting
Joao Sousa will get a hero’s welcome on home soil. The crowd will be crowing in full support of their man. Sousa delivered the goods back in 2018 becoming the first home champion since the event’s inception in 2015. But he is clearly past his heydays now. This will be a tough hurdle to clear. Zeppieri has been one of the most consistent performers on the Challenger Tour for a while now. Last year, he memorably reached the Umag semifinal as a qualifier and only lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set nailbiter. If the draw works out well for him, the Italian might take his chance again.
Prediction: Zeppieri in 2
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Luca Nardi
Head-to-head: first meeting
The quarterfinal points in Indian Wells and Miami have fallen off, sending Kecmanovic to a lowly 40th spot in the rankings. However, he can make up for those lost points between now and the third week of April. He is 8-8 for the season, but if he can emulate his performances from the clay swing last year, he might be a handful for the ATP’s best players. He is not a long way off his best tennis as he is very adaptable and his game can seamlessly click into gear. The Serb should overwhelm the Italian upstart.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 2
Ben Shelton vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-head: first meeting
It will be interesting to see whether Ben Shelton has made a bold decision to play in Estoril rather than the comfortable surroundings in Houston. But it appears he wants to have the best possible preparation for the big tournaments later this month and the surface in Portugal will help him gain the upper hand over his compatriots back home. Nonetheless, he has never played a clay-court match on the ATP or Challenger Tour, so his first-strike tennis might not be as lethal as on hard courts. Lestienne brings a ton of experience, but there is good reason to fancy Shelton here given Lestienne is lamentably out of form.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
