The ATP action in Estoril was almost completely rained off on Tuesday, which leads to Thursday now being a packed schedule with both halves of their draw competing in their second-round matches. Hubert Hurkacz starts his campaign against Jan Choinski, while home crowd favorite Nuno Borges takes on Lorenzo Musetti. We also look at the rest of Thursday’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will prevail?
ATP Estoril Day 4 Predictions
Pablo Llamas Ruiz vs David Jorda Sanchis
Head-to-head: Llamas Ruiz 1-0
Pablo Llamas Ruiz defeated David Jorda Sanchis in the final round of qualifying; now they’re meeting again in round two of the main draw. Jorda Sanchis got in as a lucky loser and took his chance against Portugal’s Jaime Faria, but given he just lost to Llamas Ruiz he can’t really be considered the favorite here. His main advantage is the serve, but his compatriot is also surprisingly good at executing +1 forehand combinations on clay. Off the ground, Llamas Ruiz has so much more variety.
Prediction: Llamas Ruiz in 2
Marton Fucsovics vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Monfils 3-0
Gael Monfils might have survived the opening round against Henrique Rocha in straight sets, but it wasn’t that comfortable. The Frenchman had to fend off multiple set points and was forced to work hard for the win due to the admirable effort of the 20-year-old. Now he gets Marton Fucsovics, a familiar foe whom he eliminated on the way to the Stockholm title last year. On clay the Hungarian might have a slightly tougher time against him, not being able to use the slice or fire aggressive forehands that effectively.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Nuno Borges vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: First meeting
Nuno Borges looked down and out when he fell 0-6 0-2 behind against Lucas Pouille in the opening round, but he eventually produced a stunning comeback to save one match point and win. Playing at home might bring the best out of you, but can also add some extra pressure. He’ll need to be on top of his game now as Lorenzo Musetti is returning to his favorite surface after a great Sunshine Double. This is a blockbuster but maybe some Portuguese magic can take place.
Prediction: Borges in 3
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jan Choinski
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 1-0
Hubert Hurkacz also played Estoril last year, losing at this very stage to Bernabe Zapata Miralles. If the conditions were as damp as at the beginning of the week, he probably wouldn’t have a great shot to go deep in this event. Now that it’s a bit sunnier maybe his serve will do a bit more damage, but this is a relatively tricky matchup. Jan Choinski plays a fairly similar style, falling into the tall counter-puncher mode. If the serves are a bit neutralized by the surface, this can get physical.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
