This week on the ATP Tour, we’re in Astana for a 250-level event. In this article, we’ve tried to determine whether the lefty Frenchmen Corentin Moutet and Adrian Mannarino will get through their first round matches, along with a couple of other predictions. You can catch the rest of our second day predictions in a separate piece.
ATP Astana Day 2 Predictions
Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Egor Gerasimov
Head-to-head: First meeting
The level’s clearly still there for world #661 Egor Gerasimov. Via protected ranking, he qualified for the main draw defeating Zizou Bergs and Alexandre Muller, the latter a very good scalp against a form player. The Belarusian has got fire power for days on hard courts and will likely be dictating the majority of the points against the more clay-oriented player in Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
The Spaniard’s defense will be difficult to get through with Gerasimov a little out of practice but we still think he can take this opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
Prediction: Gerasimov in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Alibek Kachmazov
Head-to-head: First meeting
Two great wins for Alibek Kachmazov in qualifying make him very difficult to underrate here. The Russian has a great game for indoor tennis that will surely test the abilities of Corentin Moutet.
Perhaps Kachmazov would have preferred a player with a bit more firepower themselves, however. The Frenchman will have a good chance of disrupting the 21-year-old’s game with his incredible variety. Kachmazov may continue to grow in stature but give him a little time to really find his true potential.
Prediction: Moutet in 3
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Roberto Carballes Baena vs Sho Shimabukuro
Head-to-head: First meeting
Roberto Carballes Baena may have knocked Holger Rune out of the US Open but, in truth, this was more down to the Dane’s performance than the Spaniard’s. Still, there are definite improvements to Carballes Baena’s hard court game, the serve having gotten a lot of focus over the past year or so.
Sho Shimabukoro has made bigger scalps this year but, with the courts a little on the slow side, the consistency of the world #61 probably reigns supreme here.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
Adrian Mannarino vs Arthur Rinderknech
Head-to-head: Mannarino 1-0 Rinderknech
The Adrian Mannarino train just keeps rolling. It’s arguably his best patch of form ever and he’s fresh off the back of two indoor wins in difficult match-ups (Purcell and Stricker). The Frenchman is pretty much guaranteed to make you tear your hair out so out-of-form compatriot Arthur Rinderknech will likely be in for a very tough time.
Prediction: Mannarino in 2
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
