Tournaments are coming thick and fast on the clay swing, and the next big stop is Madrid. The Madrid Open is not the usual clay court tournament, as the high altitude makes it different from others. What’s usual is the top players fighting hard to get the trophy in their hands. The defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, is back as he seeks to become the first player to win this event three consecutive times. As always, we here at LWOT will offer our predictions for every match on the slate for day one. But who will advance?
ATP Madrid Day 1 Predictions
Arthur Rinderknech vs Alexander Shevchenko
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Arthur Rinderknech has not found much success on a tennis court this year, with just three wins in his name. However, he has won a challenger title in Lille, but it was on hard courts. The Frenchman is making his Madrid Open debut and will hope to take advantage of the altitude with his big serve. Alexander Shevchenko hasn’t had the year he would have hoped for after a decent 2023 season, where he cracked the top 50 for the first time. Shevchenko reached the third round in Madrid last year, and despite his poor form, he should have had enough to beat his opponent.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 3
Christopher Eubanks vs Botic Van De Zandschulp
Head-to-Head: Eubanks 0-1 Van De Zandschulp
Christopher Eubanks had a very good 2023 season, reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and Miami Open and his first ATP title in Mallorca. This year he is yet to win consecutive matches at the same tournament. Eubanks doesn’t have much experience on clay, as he has won only one match on this surface. Botic Van De Zandschulp’s second-round loss in Munich shoves him outside the top 100. He needs to win consecutive matches to get back inside the top 100 again. Van De Zandschulp has a decent record on clay, which should help him to defend against an inexperienced opponent. Expect a tiebreak or two in this match.
Prediction: Van De Zandschulp in 3
Roman Safiullin vs Thiago Seyboth Wild
Head-to-Head: Safiullin 1-0 Seyboth Wild
Roman Safiullin showed last year that he can play at a very high level, with top 10 wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, but he is still finding his form this year. He suffered a straight-set loss in Barcelona, but the conditions in Madrid should have suited his game better. Thiago Seyboth Wild has been finding some form lately. He reached the third round of both Indian Wells and Miami as a qualifier. A tough three-set loss in Bucharest will hurt, but the Brazillian is on the right path. Safiullin won quite easily the last time these two met last year, but the circumstances are completely different this time. Give me the Brazillian on clay.
Prediction: Seyboth Wild in 3
Fabian Marozsan vs Aslan Karatsev
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Fabian Marozsan is relatively new on the ATP tour, but he has created a name for himself through his fearless game. After a slow start to the year, Marozsan is starting to find his form again. He reached the quarterfinal in Miami and hopes to have a good showing at the Madrid Open. Aslan Karatsev is back after suffering an ACL injury at the beginning of the year in Brisbane. Karatsev reached the semifinal of this event last year, but finding that same form would be too much to ask for just his second match of the year. These two play hard and flat strokes, but the lack of match practice puts Karatsev at a disadvantage.
Prediction: Marozsan in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
