The remaining first-round matches are set to be played on day two at the ATP Kitzbuhel Open, the final clay-court stop on the ATP Tour. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Dominic Thiem vs Facundo Bagnis. But who will reach the round of 16 in Austria?
ATP Kitzbuhel Day 2 Predictions
Thiago Seyboth Wild vs Dennis Novak
Head-to-head: first meeting
Other than Dominic Thiem, Dennis Novak is the only other Austrian player in the singles draw. Novak plays the majority of his tennis at the Challenger-level he has gotten some big wins at this tournament in front of his home fans. On the other hand, Thiago Seyboth Wild seemed to make headway after his stunning French Open victory over Medvedev, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that form as of late. He suffered a rather disappointing grass court season, failing to qualify for Wimbledon, and since hasn’t been able to play well on clay. Giving the edge to Novak, who has a lot of long-term experience on the ATP-tour, and will certainly use the home crowd to his advantage.
Prediction: Novak in 2
[cta id=4014 type=cta]
Dusan Lajovic vs Zhang Zhizhen
Head-to-head: Zhang 1-0 Lajovic
This pair have met before, with that match ended in a disappointing retirement for Dusan Lajovic early in the match. This time around Lajovic definitely comes into this match as the underdog, given Zhang Zhizhen’s compelling rise to the top 50 in recent months. Zhang played some great tennis last week in Hamburg, reaching the semifinals and using his weapons to the fullest. His forehand will definitely attempt to break down Lajovic’s weaker backhand and generally run Lajovic off the court. While Lajovic has had some big results on clay this year, his form has dipped ever since his stunning victories over Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev in Serbia. Look for Zhang to win this one.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Laslo Djere vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-head: Djere 1-1 O’Connell
Laslo Djere had a fantastic week in Hamburg, reaching his fifth tour-level final. Although he was well-beaten by Alexander Zverev in the final, it was good to watch a player with Djere’s undeniable athleticism and back to their best. It may be a tough ask for Djere to replicate his good form this week, but this is a nice first-round match for him. Christopher O’Connell made a rather unexpected decision to play on clay courts this summer, losing swiftly to Zsombor Piros in Umag, a player well outside the Top 100. O’Connell’s big serve and power off the ground will be neutralized by Djere’s defence, and Djere simply has much more experience on the clay courts, as opposed to O’Connell bringing his best on faster hard courts.
Prediction: Djere in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
