The 2023 ATP Sofia Open continues with every second-round clash set to be played on Wednesday. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Adrian Mannarino vs Albert Ramos Vinolas. But who will reach the last eight?
ATP Sofia Day 2 Predictions
Cem Ilkel vs Max Purcell
Head-to-head: Ilkel 1-0 Purcell
Cem Ilkel’s form fell apart after a wonderful start to the season and it’s not easy to tell why. At his best, the Turk just doesn’t miss off the ground and has that heavy forehand to help him dictate play. But can he pull it off against Max Purcell? He did four years ago at a Challenger in Gwangju, but the Australian has had a tremendous rise in the rankings this year after deciding to focus more on singles. His unique slice-heavy style makes him vulnerable to upsets though if an opponent likes this type of game. Ilkel would need to improve rapidly to take this win.
Prediction: Purcell in 3
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Sebastian Ofner vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-head: Ofner 1-1 O’Connell
These two were recently engaged in a tough battle at Tokyo and we shouldn’t expect anything less here. That one was won by Sebastian Ofner 6-7 7-6 7-5, but it was Christopher O’Connell who beat him via retirement in Atlanta two years ago. On paper, the indoor hard courts in Sofia should be slightly more favorable to Ofner, who reached the semis in Astana recently in fairly similar conditions. This one won’t be easy though and the Austrian will know it best, having survived that thriller against O’Connell less than a month ago.
Prediction: Ofner in 3
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Marton Fucsovics vs Jurij Rodionov
Head-to-head: Fucsovics 1-0 Rodionov
Jurij Rodionov broke the top 100 earlier this year, but for now his career-high remains precisely at World No. 100 and he hasn’t been able to make any large main tour impact. The Austrian is still kind of torn in terms of his identity on the court and mostly racks up points with many solid runs rather than big highlights. Marton Fucsovics seems to be the guy to beat here with a previous win in the head-to-head (Stuttgart 2022) and a final in Sofia four years ago. He just has more quality and knows how to maximize his assets better than Rodionov does.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 3
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Lorenzo Musetti vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: Draper 1-0 Musetti
Jack Draper demolished Lorenzo Musetti at the Next Gen Finals last year, although there’s probably an argument to be made that the Italian’s head wasn’t fully in the game with him unsure if to play that event in the first place. The bottom line is Draper is just a lot stronger on indoor hard and if it wasn’t for the injuries, likely would be ranked around the same as his opponent if not higher. If he can hold up physically after winning a Challenger in Bergamo last week, he’s going to be the favorite here.
Prediction: Draper in 2
Main photo credit: Carter Skaggs/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
