Main draw action kicks off on Monday at the 2024 ATP Barcelona Open. The seeds will come into play in the second round, but for now we still have plenty of exciting matches coming up on the schedule. Can Spanish prodigy Martin Landaluce keep proving his worth and pick up a win on home soil? Who do you think will advance?
ATP Barcelona Day 1 Predictions
Duje Ajdukovic vs Marco Trungelliti
Head-to-head: First meeting
The two qualifiers are facing each other and both will be treating this as a great opportunity. Duje Ajdukovic has so much easy power, but very often is his own worst enemy and doesn’t handle frustration too well mentally. Is this enough for a smart veteran like Marco Trungelliti to take him down? Maybe as the 34-year-old is enjoying a bit of a resurgence this year, including his first Challenger title in five years. He’s not to be underestimated.
Prediction: Trungelliti in 3
Nick Hardt vs Martin Landaluce
Head-to-head: First meeting
Martin Landaluce is developing at a great rate and it seems that the 2022 US Open junior champion will soon bring Spain a lot of success on the pro circuit as well. For now this seems like a phenomenal opportunity to grab a win on the main tour again after Miami, but Nick Hardt is kind of on top of his game at the moment. While claiming his maiden Challenger title recently and qualifying here, the Dominican Republic native showed many players how pesty his grinding tennis can be. It’s a test for Landaluce, but he has the raw talent to win.
Prediction: Landaluce in 3
Pavel Kotov vs Sebastian Ofner
Head-to-head: 1-1
Some time has passed since they played each other twice in 2022 and both are now sitting very close to their career-high rankings. Whether they’ll maintain these positions remains to be seen as especially Sebastian Ofner has had a bit of a mediocre campaign. In fact so did Pavel Kotov, but he picked himself up when he needed it to repeat his Marrakech semifinal run. Tough to predict who’ll be stronger here, Kotov’s game just seems slightly more repeatable at the moment.
Prediction: Kotov in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
