The Paris Olympics are in full swing, but there is still other tennis action around the world. Washington DC welcomes the Mubadala Citi DC Open to its grounds for an ATP 500-level event. The draw is littered with Americans, including No. 4 seed Sebasitan Korda who squares off against Cristian Garin in the second round. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for all matches around the grounds of ATP Washington. But who will advance to the next round?
ATP Washington Day 2 Predictions
Brandon Nakashima vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-Head: Nakashima 1-0 O’Connell
No. 13 seed Brandon Nakashima begins his ATP Washington campaign against Christopher O’Connell. The 30-year-old Aussie had dropped six consecutive matches before his Round 1 win over Harold Mayot. Nakashima is 13-13 in tour-level matches this season as he works his way back from a knee injury. He is liable to throw in an inconsistent performance here and there, but I expect him to begin his tournament with a convincing win.
Prediction: Nakashima in 2
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Head-to-Head: Nishioka 1-0 Kovacevic
Yoshihito Nishioka jumped 36 ranking spots after he claimed his third title of his career last week in Atlanta. The 28-year-old Japanese is 10-2 in his last 12 matches after a slow start to the season. 25-year-old American Aleksandar Kovacevic holds a career-high ranking of World No. 82, though he is just 2-7 in his last nine matches. The only way I see the in-form Nishioka dropping this match is if he is worn out from his efforts last week.
Prediction: Nishioka in 2
Radu Albot vs Facundo Diaz Acosta
Head-to-Head: Albot 0-1 Diaz Acosta
34-year-old Radu Albot impressively won two qualifying matches to reach the main draw at ATP Washington. He has had an up-and-down season with most of his success coming on the clay. 23-year-old Facundo Diaz Acosta is amidst a breakthrough season with 15 tour-level wins. He, too, prefers the clay. That said, Diaz Acosta should be able to handle the blistering heat in Washington as he wears down his veteran opponent.
Prediction: Diaz Acosta in 3
Sebastian Korda vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-Head: Korda 2-0 Garin
Sebastian Korda has beaten Cristian Garin in each of the last two seasons. I expect him to make it three for three on Tuesday. Korda has the talent to be one of the best players in the game, but injuries and inconsistencies have held him back. He begins his US Open lead-up as the No. 4 seed in Washington. I expect him to come out firing as one of the favorites to win this event.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
