The 2025 ATP Lexus Eastbourne Open is a key warm-up tournament before Wimbledon and has once again drawn top players. Defending champion Taylor Fritz leads the field as the top seed. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate for Day 1. But who will advance?
ATP Eastbourne Day 1 Predictions
Daniel Evans vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-Head: Evans 0-2 Kecmanovic
Daniel Evans got a great win over Frances Tiafoe at the Queen’s Club last week and will look to build on that and win a couple of more matches this week. He plays some of his best tennis on grass and will be a dangerous player if he finds his feet quickly. Miomir Kecmanovic is going through a rough phase and needs some match wins to get his confidence back. He has reached the quarterfinals in both his appearances in Eastbourne and must be happy to be back here. Evans will be extra motivated to perform well on his home soil, and his slices can trouble the Serbian player.
Prediction: Evans in 3
Quentin Halys vs Mattia Bellucci
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Mattia Bellucci lost a close match to Corentin Moutet last week but has done extremely well to bounce back and qualify for the main draw here. The Italian is still looking for his first Tour-level win on grass and will hope to get it in the first round. However, he faces the dangerous Quentin Halys, who is much more familiar with this surface and has a big serve in his arsenal, which will thrive on the quick courts of Eastbourne. Bellucci’s best chance would be to stay strong on his serve and look to win the tiebreaks if he doesn’t get many looks in Halys’s service games.
Prediction: Halys in 3
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Chun-Hsin Tseng
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had a solid 2025 season and will look to get some match practice before Wimbledon. This will be his first match on grass this season, and it can end up being tricky if he doesn’t find his feet quickly. Lucky loser Chun-Hsin Tseng will look to make the most of the second chance and get his first Tour-level win on grass. The Spaniard is the more aggressive player of the two, which gives him the advantage.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs Fabian Marozsan
Head-to-Head: Sonego 1-0 Marozsan
Lorenzo Sonego played an inspired match against world No.3 Alexander Zverev in Halle and should be proud of his performance. He pushed Zverev to the limits, and his serve was the key. If he can serve like that, he will put himself in a great spot to make a deep run this week. Fabian Marozsan got his second Tour-level win on grass last week but was easily defeated by Tomas Machac in the second round. He will improve with time on this surface, but right now, the Italian is the slight favourite to win this match.
Prediction: Sonego in 3
Joao Fonseca vs Zizou Bergs
Head-to-Head: first meeting
The 2024 NextGen Finals champion, Joao Fonseca, is still seeking his first Tour-level win on grass, having lost a tight three-setter to Flavio Cobolli last week in Halle. He has the game to thrive on this surface and will get better with every match. He has a tough draw with Taylor Fritz as a possible second-round opponent, but he should be able to beat Zizou Bergs if he plays at a good level. Bergs has been impressive on grass recently, but it will be tough for him to handle Fonseca’s power and aggression.
Prediction: Fonseca in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
