The ATP Tour heads to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for the final event before the US Open. Although this 250 event does not have any of the top players in the world, there are still a lot of strong competitors in this 48-player draw. John Millman and Hugo Gaston headline what should be a good day of tennis in Winston-Salem. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. But who will advance?
ATP Winston-Salem Day 1 Predictions
Soonwoo Kwon vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-Head: Kwon 1-0 Altmaier
Soonwoo Kwon and Daniel Altmaier are set to meet for the second time, but the first time in nearly six years. Both are much improved since their meeting in juniors and are looking to make some noise in this US Open lead-up. With that said, both Kwon and Altmaier are in very poor form. Kwon is 2-9 in his last 11 and Altmaier is 0-7 since June 23rd. Something must give on Sunday in Winston-Salem. These two are separated by just one ranking spot, and I believe that will show in this matchup. I will take Altmaier, who showed a high level in recent losses against Fognini and Musetti.
Prediction: Altmaier in 3
Denis Kudla vs Thiago Monteiro
Head-to-Head: first meeting
American Denis Kudla and Brazilian Thiago Monteiro are set to square off for the first time in Winston-Salem. Although Monteiro has had the better season, Kudla is the better hard-court player. The American had a career year in 2021 but has struggled with consistency this season. A decent run in Winston-Salem would go a long with for his confidence ahead of New York. Kudla actually has a better record against lefties than righties, and I believe that experience will pay off on Sunday. Monteiro will keep it close, but I like Kudla to pull it out in the third.
Prediction: Kudla in 3
John Millman vs Hugo Gaston
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Veteran John Millman will take on 21-year-old Hugo Gaston for the first time as both look to gain some much-needed form ahead of Flushing Meadows. Millman is a much more experienced player and prefers the hard, fast courts. Gaston prefers the clay but has shown flashes of top-level tennis during his young hard-court career. Both players are known for their ‘grind-it-out’ mentality, so I expect them to be on-court for a long time. In the end, however, I think the competitiveness and unorthodox style of the young Frenchman will win out.
Prediction: Gaston in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
