The field for the ATP Hall of Fame Championships in Newport is much more exciting than in previous years. One of the reasons for that is the inclusion of Andy Murray, who’s opening his campaign against Sam Querrey. Last time they played, the American made a famous upset in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Who do you think will come out on top this time? We also have predictions for matches featuring Liam Broady and Tim van Rijthoven.
ATP Newport Day 2 Predictions
Feliciano Lopez vs Jiri Vesely
Head-to-head: Lopez 1-0
With a 1-12 win/loss record for the year, it’s a pretty safe bet that Feliciano Lopez will end his career really soon (unless something drastically improves). His only win of 2022 came on grass, but against Bradley Klahn, who’s coming back after a long struggle with injuries and is currently winless for the season. This is still a surface the Spaniard excels on. Jiri Vesely might lose this, but he likely won’t with the solid rhythm he found in Ilkley/Wimbledon.
Prediction: Vesely in 2
Quentin Halys vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: 2-2
This one seems very form of the day reliant. Both guys undoubtedly have all the power required to play well on grass, but have issues brining that to the court consistently. Alexei Popyrin took their only meeting this year in Bordeaux (on clay). The Australian is just a bit more fluid and dynamic, but this will probably come down to who manages to grab the odd break once per set. Coin toss.
Prediction: Popyrin in 3
Dominik Koepfer vs Christopher Eubanks
Head-to-head: First meeting
Despite his massive serve, Christopher Eubanks has never been a grass court genius, perhaps mostly due to his height, clumsy movement, and not reacting well to low balls. This is a very winnable matchup though. Dominik Koepfer used to be brilliant on this surface at his best (won Ilkley in 2019), but just hasn’t been healthy of late. With no sets taken in his only two matches since Miami, he might struggle again versus Eubanks, who’ll have plenty of momentum coming from the qualifying draw.
Prediction: Eubanks in 3
Andy Murray vs Sam Querrey
Head-to-head: Murray 7-2
This rivalry made headlines in 2017 when Sam Querrey eliminated Andy Murray in Wimbledon quarterfinals (after which the Brit need an almost year-long injury hiatus). The former World No. 1 took their previous two grass meetings though and will be favored to win again here. His 2022 campaign on the lawn was much more solid than in recent years. While Querrey can still be dangerous on this surface, Murray generally possesses very good records against big-servers.
Prediction: Murray in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
