The Winston-Salem Open in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is the final lead-up event to the US Open. Established in 2011, this 250-level event brings in some younger, talented players looking to make noise at an ATP hardcourt event. Day 2 of the Winston-Salem Open is loaded with matches, including No. 14 seed Marton Fucsovics taking on Zhizhen Zhang. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Winston-Salem–in two separate articles, featuring Arthur Rinderknech vs Dominic Thiem and Marc-Andrea Huesler vs Richard Gasquet. But who will advance?
ATP Winston-Salem Day 2 Predictions
Sebastian Baez vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Head-to-Head: Baez 1-1 Galan
Clay-court maestros Sebastian Baez and Daniel Elahi Galan will square off on a hardcourt for the first time on Monday. Baez is coming off his third-career ATP title in Kitzbuhel. It was a much-needed week for him after a rough summer. Galan reached a career-high ranking of World No. 56 last month and is amidst the most successful season of his career. Both men are solid movers and excel playing from deep in the court. Expect a lot of long, back-and-forth rallies. In the end, I see Galan holding his nerve during the tense moments.
Prediction: Galan in 3
Max Purcell vs Marco Cecchinato
Head-to-Head: Purcell 2-0 Cecchinato
Coming off the best week of his career, Max Purcell looks to make a deep run in Winston-Salem ahead of the US Open. The 25-year-old Aussie made a run to the Cincinnati quarterfinals last week and now holds a career-high ranking of World No. 47. He takes on 30-year-old Italian Marco Cecchinato in Round 1. Cecchinato is 1-10 in his last 11 matches. Purcell has the form to dominate this match. Look for him to come to the net early and often.
Prediction: Purcell in 2
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Pavel Kotov vs Mitchell Krueger
Head-to-Head: first meeting
24-year-old Pavel Kotov squares off against American qualifier Mitchell Krueger in Round 1 of the Winston-Salem Open. Krueger cruised through two qualifying matches without dropping a set. That said, he has not had a great season. Krueger has not won an ATP main draw match since 2022. Kotov has had one of the best seasons of his young career and will receive an automatic entry into the US Open main draw next week. I expect him to come ready to play, using his baseline consistency to pierce through Krueger.
Prediction: Kotov in 2
Marton Fucsovics vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head-to-Head: Fucsovics 0-1 Zhang
Maront Fucsovics and Zhizhen Zhang square off in what sets up to be a terrific second-round battle. Zhang overcame a set deficit to take down Ilya Ivashka in Round 1. Zhang is 13-13 in tour-level matches this year and reached a career-high ranking of No. 52 last month. He strikes the ball well from the baseline and brings a solid variety to the court. Fucsovics is 9-4 since the start of the grass season. His combination of consistency and power from the baseline allows him to bully his opponents around the court. I see Fucsovics finding the finish line in this match.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
