All eight round of 16 matches are coming up at Winston-Salem, but one of them might be a lot more exciting than the others. Laslo Djere will take on Alex Michelsen and it will be a great litmus test of where the 18-year-old American stands just prior to the US Open. Who do you think will prevail?
ATP Winston-Salem Day 4 Predictions
Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Omni Kumar
Head-to-head: First meeting
Both players have pulled off two major upsets back-to-back to get here. Omni Kumar advanced to the main draw as a lucky loser, only to beat Arthur Rinderknech and Botic van de Zandschulp. Juan Manuel Cerundolo hasn’t looked so competent on hard courts in a while (maybe ever), taking out Roman Safiullin and Yannick Hanfmann. The Argentinian’s displays seemed more repeatable, despite him going three sets in both matches (the opposition made it tougher for him though).
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Jiri Lehecka vs Dominik Koepfer
Head-to-head: First meeting
Dominik Koepfer is definitely one of the comeback players of the year, making it back to the top of the sport in style and quicker than anyone thought he would. After surviving a thriller with Constant Lestienne, he swiftly took advantage of his opportunity and defeated lucky loser Strong Kirchheimer. His ability to compete and the lefty spins could give him a helping hand against Jiri Lehecka, who still tends to be extremely erratic.
Prediction: Koepfer in 3
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Brandon Nakashima vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-head: Nakashima 1-0
Outside of that one title in Auckland at the beginning of the season, Richard Gasquet mostly hasn’t been holding up that well on the ATP Tour this year. Meanwhile, Brandon Nakashima seems to be picking up some steam this North American hard-courts season. If he’s losing, he’s losing close matches to quality opposition. The 22-year-old definitely seems like the slight favorite in this one at the moment.
Prediction: Nakashima in 2
Laslo Djere vs Alex Michelsen
Head-to-head: First meeting
This might just be the biggest match of the day and it’s so hard to pick the favorite. Laslo Djere finished runner-up at this event last year and won his first match comfortably, but doesn’t Alex Michelsen have a stronger upside? It kind of remains to be seen with the American basically just joining the ATP Tour ranks. It can be a match where the 18-year-old shows his incredible potential (again), but it also can be a bit of a reality check for now. Djere is often tough for players yet to fully control their own games.
Prediction: Djere in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
