At the ATP 1000 in Montreal, an impressive 16 matches are on Wednesday’s schedule, all of which are first round matches. Multiple stars on the tour such as recent Citi Open champion Sebastian Korda feature in this set of LWOT predictions. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in three other articles–featuring Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz vs Mariano Navone, and Ben Shelton vs Alexander Bublik. Who will reach the second round?
ATP Montreal Day 2 Predictions
Rinky Hijikata vs Taro Daniel
Head-to-head: 1-0 Daniel
Hijikata recently survived a tight qualifying encounter against home favorite Alexis Galarneau 2-6 6-4 7-6 (5), and he should like his chances against Daniel in the main draw. After reaching a career high early in 2024, Daniel is on an eight-match losing streak in ATP main draw matches. While neither player has played on hard courts this summer yet, Hijikata should feel more confident with his slightly better form; he has 10 wins on the season as of August. Look for the Aussie to win with his with his consistency and great footwork.
Prediction: Hijikata in 3
Borna Coric vs Pedro Martinez
Head-to-head: 1-0 Coric
Coric suffered a brutal loss to Emil Ruusuvuori last week at the Citi Open, falling to debilitating cramps and the heat late in a third set. But the Croat has done well to qualify this week, including taking out the dangerous Jakub Mensik 6-4 in the third. Martinez has undergone a career renaissance in 2024, and almost sits at a career high ranking, but much of his success came on clay courts as was the case in Hamburg last month. Coric may have the edge with his greater amount of matchplay on the hard courts.
Prediction: Coric in 2
Sebastian Korda vs Vasek Pospisil
Head-to-head: 1-0 Korda
Korda is just coming off the biggest ATP title of his career, in which he won the Citi Open after saving a match point midway through the tournament. This may be a tough turnaround for the American, but he should feel confident against Pospisil, the World No. 610. While the Canadian does tend to play well on home soil, he hasn’t won a singles ATP tour-level match since September 2022, excluding Davis Cup matches. Korda will have to control his nerves against the partisan crowd and serve well, and he should win comfortably.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: 1-1
The pair last played in early 2023, where Kokkinakis won in an enticing final-set tiebreak. Since then, Kokkinakis has continued patterns of up-and-down play, while Monfils sits just on the cusp of the Top 30 in the rankings. Monfils has good history in Canada as of late — he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets last year in Toronto. While the Aussie has the arguably more aggressive play, Monfils has a level of consistency on the hard courts, and has the ability to bring his flashy style of play in surprising moments. It’s also noteworthy that Kokkinakis scraped through a grueling three-hour qualifying match, and he may be fatigued as a result. Look for the Frenchman to win this in a close one on Center Court.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
