The third Slam of the season wrapped up over the weekend with Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova leaving the All England Club with their names etched in tennis history. The ATP Tour transitions over the Atlantic for the 2023 Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island. The legendary grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame welcome a 28-man draw with many young and hungry competitors. Day 1 features four main draw matches, including No. 7 seed Jordan Thompson taking on young American Aleksandar Kovacevic. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Newport. But who will advance?
ATP Newport Day 1 Predictions
Liam Broady vs Shintaro Mochizuki
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Liam Broady played the match of his life in the second round of Wimbledon to take down No. 4 seed Casper Ruud. The No. 5 ranked Brit will look to carry that momentum over to Newport. His Round 1 opponent is Shintaro Mochizuki. The 20-year-old Japanese is ranked No. 192 in the world and is still searching for his first tour-level victory. He showed a proclivity on the grass in Wimbledon qualifying, but I do not see him matching the baseline rally tolerance of Broady. The Brit will be able to dictate many rallies and take the ball early.
Prediction: Broady in 2
Rinky Hijikata vs Abdullah Shelbayh
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Rinky Hijikata has played solid grass-court tennis this year. He holds an 8-5 record in all competitions. Abdullah Shelbayh is a 19-year-old native of Jordan with minimal experience at any professional level of tennis. The lefty played at the University of Florida during the 2021/22 season and has a variety to his game that allows him to win points in many different ways. In this match, I expect Hijikata to be aggressive. He will attack the backhand of Shelbayh and force the 19-year-old to come up with some magic to win points.
Prediction: Hijikata in 2
Corentin Moutet vs Eliot Spizzirri
Head-to-Head: first meeting
No. 8 seed Corentin Moutet is one of the most polarizing players on the ATP Tour. The 24-year-old French firecracker takes on 2023 ITA National Player of the Year Eliot Spizzirri. The 21-year-old was the No. 1 ranked collegiate player for most of the 2022/23 season at the University of Texas. Spizzirri is 0-2 in two Challenger matches this summer, but I think he has the tools to frustrate Moutet. Ultimately, however, the Frenchman’s experience should push him across the finish line.
Prediction: Moutet in 3
Jordan Thompson vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Jordan Thompson has had a tough go of it at the tour level this year, holding just a 10-13 record. That said, he has dominated the Challenger Tour, winning 16 of the 19 matches he has played at that level. Aleksandar Kovacevic has been a Chellenger-level player for the majority of his career. He has a serve that can potentially puncture the Aussie, but I do not see the American being able to hang in rallies over five shots.
Prediction: Thompson in 2
Photo Credit: Jay Calderon – The Desert Sun – USA TODAY NETWORK
