Holger Rune is working with Andre Agassi in Washington and trying to shake things up. It makes sense as the No. 3 seed lost in the opening round at Wimbledon and clearly needs a new influence. We’ll see how that pans out with Rune taking on Alexandre Muller in the opening round of ATP Washington. Among the players on the schedule is also Aleksandar Kovacevic, who finished runner-up in Los Cabos last week.
ATP Washington Day 2 Predictions
David Goffin vs Bu Yunchaokete
Head-to-head: First meeting
Two players who have been struggling recently, and one of them will have to grab a win. David Goffin has been trying to find his footing after missing a few tournaments in the spring, and last week, the Belgian was still playing in Gstaad on clay. Meanwhile, Bu Yunchaokete had four match points in a row to try to get to the quarterfinals in Los Cabos, and blowing that lead won’t help his confidence. But it does seem like he’s slightly better prepared for this match than Goffin is.
Prediction: Bu in 3
Quentin Halys vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Head-to-head: Halys 1-0
Aleksandar Kovacevic reached his second ATP Tour final in Los Cabos on the weekend and will need to adjust quickly to the conditions in Washington. In terms of confidence, he’s got a massive edge on Quentin Halys, who lost surprisingly early at Wimbledon and then also suffered a shock exit in the aforementioned event in Mexico. Usually, the Halys serves against the one-handed backhand return of Kovacevic is a tough pattern for the American to overcome, but mentally, only one player here is in a good spot right now.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 3
Fabian Marozsan vs Gabriel Diallo
Head-to-head: Diallo 1-0
Gabriel Diallo has already crushed Fabian Marozsan during a Davis Cup tie this year, but outdoors, it certainly doesn’t need to be that simple for him to dominate. The Canadian has been on the rise the last few months with unreal success like his run at the ATP 1000 in Madrid or especially the ‘s-Hertogenbosch title. Even based on that momentum alone, you’d expect Diallo to take down Marozsan, especially after the Hungarian took a while to find his timing in the opening round.
Prediction: Diallo in 2
Holger Rune vs Alexandre Muller
Head-to-head: Rune 1-0
Holger Rune’s career has been stagnating for a while now, and trying to find a new voice in his box is a great move. We’ll see how the partnership with Andre Agassi turns out and whether it gets extended beyond the trial period. Rune will need to be focused from the first round, given that Alexandre Muller is such a relentless baseline player who won’t give him much for free. The talent level of the Dane is immense, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to show it here.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
