Day 1 of the ATP NextGen Finals saw some very good matchups, with the Italian wildcard Jannik Sinner delighting the home crowd with a good four sets win over Frances Tiafoe, and last year’s finalist Alex De Minaur digging out first important group win against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Day 2 should be just as exciting as the eight best young players on tour look to make an impact in their second ATP NextGen Finals matches.
ATP NextGen Finals Day 2 Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-head: First meeting
In the opening match of the day in Milan, Norway’s Casper Ruud will go up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a battle between the two players that lost their opening matches in Group A. Davidovich Fokina showed some flashes of fantastic, aggressive, and clean hitting in his match against top seed Alex De Minaur. However, he struggled to maintain that level for the entirety and in the end was very much out-stayed by the more experienced Aussie. Meanwhile, Ruud lost against Kecmanovic, but will be looking to improve on that performance.
The Spaniard’s game is more well-suited to this kind of surface with strong, flat ball-striking off both wings. I feel that he will be able to exploit the problems that Ruud has with not having enough preparation on his backhand to compete for long stages. The Norwegian often can keep things steady in matches with the serve and forehand combinations working well, but Davidovich Fokina will be on top of any ball that falls short. the question is whether mentally the Spaniard is at a strong enough place to make a real mark this week.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Ugo Humbert vs Frances Tiafoe
Head-to-head: First meeting
Things didn’t necessarily go to plan for France’s Ugo Humbert in his loss in the first group match. He was struggling with a lower-back problem, only really found baseline rhythm for one set, and was out-played by a resilient Mikael Ymer, but the question is whether he will be fit enough to put things right in his second match in Milan.
Humbert has the more natural game on an indoor surface–able to end points in sequences of one-two punches–and has a far superior net game to the American. But Tiafoe is a player that can fight fire with fire with his own aggression and can serve his way through important moments. The problem that Tiafoe may have in this matchup is that his forehand groundstroke does need plenty of time to set up and I just don’t see Humbert allowing him to get the sort of points he wants.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Jannik Sinner vs Mikael Ymer
Head-to-head: First meeting
The 18-year-old wildcard Jannik Sinner was probably the talk of the event after the first schedule of matches. He pretty much out-classed Tiafoe in a four-sets win, and he continues to display absolutely no nerves of home pressure and looks comfortable with his own game moving forward. The foundation of his game is really the ability to sense when to step forward, when to take time away, and overwhelm with his presence on the court. Add the fact he can eliminate any of his opponent’s chances with fabulous serving, it already makes him a very tough player.
The next player looking to scrape a win against the Italian is Sweden’s Mikael Ymer. Ymer naturally likes to grind points, make balls, and play percentage tennis. That has earned him plenty of match-wins in his development and in times of desperation it is something he usually searches for, but I don’t think his default setting will be enough to see him through here. The best way to fend off Sinner really is to try and prevent him from controlling play. Ymer has to take care of his own service games with aggression and try to play the pressurised moments well, because you know Sinner will.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head first meeting
The second match of Group A sees De Minaur face his good friend Kecmanovic. The Australian perhaps wasn’t at his sparkling best in his opening group match, but he once again showed the resilience on days where he’s not feeling his game the greatest, and continues to stretch opponents to their physical limits from point to point.
The Serbian should be a tough second match for him, though. Kecmanovic made just ten unforced errors in his first win here, looks to be finding form after his recent struggle, and has a much more impactful serve than the Australian. But will he be able to deliver the goods when this match comes along? I think with the Australian’s good indoor form, gained greater experience the last twelve months, and the overall evolution of his game point to a player more willing to hug the baseline and use his flat forehand. I think De Minaur will just have too much.
Prediction: De Minaur in 5
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