After a rain-impacted Day 2 at the ATP Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, a manic order of play is in store for Day 3. On top of many first-round matches that weren’t able to start due to the weather, additional first and second-round matches will be played. These matches highlight none other than Carlos Alcaraz, who looks to build momentum after a disappointing week in Toronto.
ATP Cincinnati Day 2 Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Arthur Fils
Head-to-head: First meeting
An all-French affair kicks off Tuesday on one of the intimate outer courts. Both players have been in solid form this summer, with Fils making an impressive run to the Hamburg semifinals. Meanwhile, Humbert made the semifinals of Newport and Atlanta and nearly took out Taylor Fritz last week in Montreal. Either player could win this match on a good day, but Fils may get the edge due to his powerful groundstrokes. Humbert’s tricky lefty game frequently forces a lot of backhand unforced errors from righties, but Fils is known for his equally strong forehand and backhand.
Prediction: Fils in 3
Felix Auger-Aliasime vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: First meeting
Auger-Alliasime took a step in the right direction on Monday, beating the rain and the always-tricky Matteo Berretini. His recent wayward groundstrokes were far more consistent, and his serve was firing well as it used to. Mannarino got an impressive win over Richard Gasquet, but Gasquet tends to struggle toward the end of the summer historically. All of this generally points towards Auger-Alliasime as the heavy favorite, but he could very well throw in scratchy errors to let Mannarino’s awkward game into the match. Giving the edge to Auger-Alliasime, who can serve himself out of trouble in tricky moments.
Prediction: Auger-Alliasime in 3
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Tomas Etcheverry
Head-to-head: 1-0 Davidovich Fokina
Firstly, it’ll be interesting to see whether Davidovich Fokina can physically hold up for this match after a great week in Toronto. His loss to Alex De Minaur in the semifinals was hampered by a stomach injury, as he fell 6-1 6-3 to the Australian. If he’s healthy, this is a solid opener for the Spaniard. Etcheverry tried his best to avoid the hard courts and grinded on the European clay with moderate success. His game doesn’t suit well for hard courts, with his counterpunching easily attacked by aggressive players. Look for a healthy and rejuvenated Davidovich Fokina to continue his momentum this summer.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
Alex De Minaur vs J.J. Wolf
Head-to-head: De Minaur 1-0
This is a fascinating first-round encounter, with many intangibles entirely unrelated to the actual tennis. De Minaur may be exhausted from a phenomenal run to the Toronto final, where he fell in an underwhelming defeat to Jannik Sinner. Meanwhile, this is quite literally J.J. Wolf’s home tournament, as he’s lived near Cincinnati his entire life, even representing Ohio at The Ohio State University. De Minaur has the physical edge to grind out opponents, but I feel that Wolf may be inspired in this matchup. Nerves may play into Wolf’s game at times, but his fiery demeanor on the court will help him pull off an upset.
Prediction: Wolf in 3
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-head: First meeting
Thompson’s two set tiebreak win over Isner is a testament to his continued consistency all season. His mentality in big moments has definitely been noticeable. Obviously, all eyes will be on the World No. 1, as Alcaraz comes to the United States with an increased aura of popularity and fame. Alcaraz played some exciting tennis in Toronto, but despite his flashy shotmaking, a lot of unforced errors crept into his game. If those errors continue into Cincinnati, it’ll certainly hurt his status as an overwhelming US Open favorite. Expecting a tight first set with nerves, and from there Alcaraz should cruise.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
