Day 2 at the ATP Millennium Estoril Open will wind up the remaining eight first-round matches on the schedule. Dominic Thiem will be the headline act as he looks to bag just his second ATP win of 2023 when he squares off against countryman Sebastian Ofner. Who will advance into the second round? We also look at the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Estoril Day 2 Predictions
Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Henrique Rocha
Head-to-head: first meeting
Henrique Rocha broke new ground by qualifying for his first ATP main draw at the weekend. The 18-year-old had never even qualified for a Challenger tournament in 12 tries, but rolled through his service games and pounded the forehand to earn two odds-defying wins in Estoril. He will take on a seasoned campaigner on this surface and a man who makes his living grinding down opponents on the red clay. But of minor concern for Zapata Miralles is the state of his knee which forced him to retire in Miami. Assuming he has shaken off that injury, the Spaniard’s wealth of experience on his favorite surface should stand him in good stead.
Prediction: Zapata Miralles in 2
Luca Van Assche vs Pedro Sousa
Head-to-head: first meeting
It was a bit perplexing that Pedro Sousa didn’t get a wild card at his home tournament. He is set to hang up his racket this year and is playing the last Estoril Open of his career. But he invested every last drop of energy into the two qualifying matches at the weekend and the crowd certainly helped his cause. He’s unlikely to find a second wind in the main draw. Luca Van Assche arrives in Estoril hot on the heels of a title win at the San Remo Challenger on Sunday. Fatigue is unlikely to hold him back. The 18-year-old is one of the fittest young players on the Challenger Tour having played and won the longest ATP Challenger final in history last month. Unfortunately for Sousa, there won’t be a fairytale ending.
Prediction: Van Assche in 2
Nuno Borges vs Quentin Halys
Head-to-head: Borges 1-1 Halys
Nuno Borges is steadily becoming an ATP regular. He is now Portugal’s No. 1 and sits at a career-high #65 ahead of his third visit to his home tournament. Borges created history by winning the first ATP Challenger 175 category in Phoenix (his second title of 2023) last month. Halys has been equally impressive, although he has no titles to show for his efforts. On clay, Borges will be comfortably quicker and he’ll have the upper hand in moving Halys around. The Portuguese does not mind playing against pace, and will try to use Halys’ nuclear serve against him.
Prediction: Borges in 3
Dominic Thiem vs Sebastian Ofner
Head-to-head: Thiem 2-0 Ofner
The nadir of the first half of last season was unlike anything Dominic Thiem had experienced before. But the start of 2023 has left fans wondering whether Thiem may have hit rock bottom. It won’t take long before Sebastian Ofner overtakes Thiem if he keeps faltering at such an alarming rate. In fact, Ofner will look at this match as a window of opportunity to do that. It’s been tough to watch the former US Open champion struggle for form and confidence and he was self-critical in assessing his game after losing to Lorenzo Sonego in Miami–his ninth defeat of the season. Ofner has tallied some strong results on the dirt in the past month and came through the qualifying draw in Estoril. Thiem starts as the favorite, but it has never been an assurance he will win. This match will be on a knife edge and Thiem has never been more vulnerable.
Prediction: Ofner in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane USAToday Sports
