This year, the ATP 250 in Umag doesn’t feature any top players in the world, with #33 Jiri Lehecka heading the field as the #1 seed. With that said, it features a lot of players who love playing on clay and will be giving it their all for some much needed ranking points. This second day of the tournament is sure to provide plenty of excitement. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Umag Day 2 Predictions
Jesper De Jong vs Matteo Arnaldi
Head-to-head: De Jong 1-1 Arnaldi
Arnaldi lost a heartbreaking third set tiebreak to Lorenzo Musetti last week in Bastad, but he showed just how good he can be on clay and will surely be fancying his chances of a deep run here in Umag, especially given the draw. De Jong played pretty well in the qualifying here, but on clay Arnaldi should have a clear edge and make it through to the next round.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 2
Zsombor Piros vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-head: O’Connell 2-1 Piros
O’Connell leads the head-to-head but Piros actually won their most recent meeting on clay this year. O’Connell is generally the better player of the two, but on clay it’s much closer and Piros might very well be able to notch another win, although it should be a very close match decided by small details.
Prediction: Piros in 3
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Fabian Marozsan vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo
Head-to-head: first meeting
This should be another very close match, with very little to pick between the two players. They are on a very similar level overall and both feel comfortable playing on clay. Judging by their recent form, maybe Marozsan has the slight edge going in, but it should be a very closely contested match.
Prediction: Marozsan in 3
Marco Cecchinato vs Alexander Shevchenko
Head-to-head: Shevchenko 1-0 Cecchinato
The players are very close in the rankings, but while Cecchinato is declining Shevchenko is young and improving, steadily rising through the rankings. When the pair faced last year on this surface, Shevchenko won with relative ease and the same will likely happen again.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 2
Main Photo Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
