A thrilling first day of the ATP Queen’s Club Championships saw third seed Jannik Sinner defeated in straight sets. Plenty of high quality tennis has already taken place, with plenty more coming on Day 2. A number of star players will be getting their tournaments under way, and we will be making our predictions on who will be heading into the second round. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Queen’s Club Championships Day 2 Predictions
Alexander Bublik vs Jeremy Chardy
Head-to-head: Bublik 1 – 1 Chardy
This should be an interesting one. These two have had tight encounters both times they’ve met, but are yet to meet on grass. Chardy played in the Stuttgart Open last week but was sent packing in the first round in straight sets. Bublik is yet to play on grass this season, but his record on the surface doesn’t suggest he’s the favourite here. The promising youngster has an excellent skillset and some great shots in his locker, but he’s to yet show this on grass.
Jeremy Chardy is far more experienced and this is a tournament he’d hope to make a good run at. However, his disappointing loss last week may mean that he’s not quite in form on the grass, and there’s definitely a good chance for Bublik to prove himself here. Bublik’s game consists of a great serve and some beautiful shots that not many can pull off, and there’s nothing about his game that suggests he can’t bring this to the surface. Expect a close match here that could go either way, but Bublik may just take this one.
Prediction: Bublik in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Aljaz Bedene
Head-to-head: First meeting
Frances Tiafoe has had a tricky season so far, but has done a great job of putting this behind him. He won the Nottingham Challenger tournament last week in excellent fashion, dropping just one set along the way. With this confidence the young American will no doubt be hoping to push on this grass season and get some good wins under his belt. Ranked far below his tennis abilities would suggest, these are an important few weeks for him coming up.
Aljaz Bedene has often played some good tennis at Queen’s, and is always a tricky customer to face. He will most likely make things difficult for Tiafoe with his defence and solid bassline game, though Tiafoe should be more confident now after his performance last week. Expect Bedene to play some good tennis and possibly take a set, but Tiafoe should be able to see it through.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Laslo Djere
Head-to-head: De Minaur 1 – 0 Djere
Alex De Minaur enters this tournament as the fourth seed, and he will be keen to make a good showing here. The Aussie youngster hasn’t been playing at as high a level this year as we’d expect from him, but this is still a match he should win. He suffered a disappointing loss last week to promising Austrian Jurij Rodionov, and he’ll be hoping to recover his form quickly. These two have played on one other occasion in 2019, which De Minaur won comfortably in straight sets, though this was when he was in better form and it was on an indoor hard court.
Laslo Djere is a very solid player and has some good groundstrokes, but this should be De Minaur’s for the taking. His speed across the court is incredible and his shot making has come a long way. The grass really should suit his style of play, so it would be surprising to see him lose. Expect some resistance from Djere, but De Minaur should be moving into the second round.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Marin Cilic vs Sebastian Ofner
Head-to-head: First meeting
Marin Cilic comes into this tournament off the back of winning the Stuttgart Open last week. The Croat has always been a real force on grass with a monster serve and pummeling groundstrokes to back it up. He’s won this tournament on two separate occasions in 2012 and 2018, and is always a strong contender for the title. After his win last week, he’ll be confident that he can put together another impressive run this week.
Ofner will go in as a big underdog here. While he’s a solid player, it’s hard to see him using any weapons that can cause Cilic problems. The Croat has had a lot of up and downs in recent years, but it’s looking like he’s rediscovering some more of the great tennis that earned much success in his career. Expect Cilic to win this with relative ease.
Prediction: Cilic in 2
Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire
Head-to-head: Murray 2 – 0 Paire
This will no doubt be a thrilling encounter. Andy Murray is no stranger to this tournament, having won it five times in his career. The London crowd never fail to show their love and support for Murray, and it’ll be no different this year even with limited capacity. Unfortunately, Murray has had a torrid time with injuries in recent years and is sadly not at the level he once was. That said, his spirit and passion for the sport remains as high as ever, and he will put his all into this week.
Benoit Paire has had a rather bizarre year, showing an uninspired attitude on court and getting punished in the process. His motivation for tennis has been lacking recently, though he is still a highly talented player. The exquisite Frenchman has some brilliant shots in his repertoire, especially his backhand. The only time these two have played on grass was at Wimbledon in 2017, which Murray comfortably. The situation is very different now, and Murray’s fitness is still an issue. It’s tough to see which way this one goes, but an inspired Murray may just clinch this.
Prediction: Murray in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
Disagree with our ATP Queen’s Club Championships Day 2 Predictions? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
