The ATP Tokyo Open is one of the few Asian swing events that already returned to the circuit last year. Taylor Fritz is the defending champion but before he takes the court, twelve players will battle it out in singles main draw matches on Monday. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for every match, including Tommy Paul vs Daniel Altmaier. But who will advance?
ATP Tokyo Day 1 Predictions
Mackenzie McDonald vs Max Purcell
Head-to-head: first meeting
It’s tough to know what to think about Max Purcell’s first few months on the main tour. He had a very high peak with the back-to-back Cincinnati and Winston-Salem quarterfinals, but other than that he’s barely winning matches at this level. Perhaps that’s just how it needs to be when you have a rather unusual playstyle. How will Mackenzie McDonald fare against it? The American has recently made an ATP 1000 quarterfinal himself and should be able to close down the net if Purcell’s game plan gets a little too slice-heavy.
Prediction: McDonald in 2
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Yoshihito Nishioka vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: Nishioka 2-1 Giron
In five previous appearances at this event, Yoshihito Nishioka has only picked up one win. He’s definitely improved his game since, but also has been struggling to keep his cool on the court of late. He still managed to reach that Zhuhai final though and will be entering this match against Marcos Giron as the favorite. The American wasn’t really tested in the qualifying and will be facing a bit of a step up here. His upside isn’t as high as Nishioka’s, but he’s capable of taking advantage if the opponent has an off day.
Prediction: Nishioka in 2
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Aleksandar Vukic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Not counting Laver Cup, Felix Auger-Aliassime has only posted two wins since Miami. The Canadian needs to start picking up some serious points soon or else he might drop out of the top 50 (once his indoor results from last year come off). Aleksandar Vukic in the opening round here is a decent opportunity for him as the former University of Illinois star is an easier draw than what he’s been getting recently. But is that enough for Auger-Aliassime right now? His last few performances were far from convincing.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
