Gael Monfils is producing some vintage displays, and he almost made it to the Indian Wells quarterfinals. Can the Frenchman keep that up during the second ATP 1000 event of the month? In the opening round of ATP Miami, he will take on Dusan Lajovic. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Miami Day 2 Predictions
Aleksandar Vukic vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Head-to-head: Vukic 1-0
Aleksandar Vukic was on a massive downward spiral before Indian Wells, and there seemed to be no hope that he would get out of it anytime soon. However, that tight loss to Novak Djokovic has awoken the Australian. He was in much better shape on his way to the Phoenix semifinals last week, and given that he’s facing an opponent who likely isn’t 100% fit at the moment (RCB retired 0-6 1-4 a few days ago), he should have a great chance to keep it going here as well.
Prediction: Vukic in 2
Daniel Altmaier vs Harold Mayot
Head-to-head: First meeting
Harold Mayot was a little fortunate in qualifying with his first opponent, Arthur Cazaux, who fainted on the court at the beginning of the third set and had to retire. The Frenchman used the opportunity well by defeating David Goffin and now finds himself in the main draw. Daniel Altmaier is far from the most formidable opponent he could have gotten, but will Mayot’s ability to absorb pace bother Altmaier as much as it does some less consistent opponents? Probably not.
Prediction: Altmaier in 3
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Fabian Marozsan
Head-to-head: First meeting
Aleksandar Kovacevic’s qualifying draw was tricky, but he did not drop a set against Patrick Kypson and Zizou Bergs. Now he gets to face Fabian Marozsan, who has an excellent record in ATP 1000 events, reaching the fourth round (at least) in all three prominent draw appearances. Maybe this is the one where the Hungarian finally falls early. Kovacevic enjoys this court much more than the one in Indian Wells and should be fired up by the home crowd as long as his one-hander doesn’t get targeted too freely.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 3
Dusan Lajovic vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Monfils 2-0
Gael Monfils almost made the Indian Wells quarterfinals last week, dragging Casper Ruud into his favorite type of rallies. The Norwegian found confidence in his forehand during the second set tiebreak, but it was a strong showing from the 37-year-old. In the last few weeks, he’s shown that age is just a number, which seems to be a favorable draw for him. Dusan Lajovic made the third round in Miami last year, but he is rarely a threat on hard courts.
Prediction: Monfils in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai – USA TODAY Sports
