There are eight second-round matches on the slate on day three at the ATP Acapulco Open and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Flavio Cobolli. With the Sunshine Double not far away, there should be no shortage of motivation to build some form, but who will book their spot in the quarterfinals?
ATP Acapulco Day 3 Predictions
Alex de Minaur vs Sebastian Ofner
Head-to-head: first meeting
Alex de Minaur kicked off his title defense with a dominant win over Taro Daniel that took 81 minutes. He snapped a two-match losing run following defeats to Jannik Sinner and Alex Michelsen. Sebastian Ofner is firmly Austria’s #1 and narrowly escaped with a win over Ernesto Escobedo in three hours, but it wasn’t the smoothest of transitions to hard courts for Ofner after playing his last three tournaments on the South American clay. De Minaur should be a heavy favourite to end Ofner’s stay in Mexico.
Prediction: de Minaur in 2
Daniel Altmaier vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head: Kecmanovic 1-0 Altmaier
Daniel Altmaier authored quite easily the upset of the tournament by ousting the top seed, Alexander Zverev. Two hours and 28 minutes was all he needed to sensationally knock out his countryman. He was able to clutch it out when he needed to, saving six of seven break points on his serve.
Miomir Kecmanovic, meanwhile, was a set away from losing his fifth match in a row. That was until he salvaged the situation over a declining Diego Schwartzman. Remarkably, his 4-6 6-3 6-1 win over the Argentine was his first in five attempts in their series. But Altmaier won’t be reading too much into that result. The German is coming off his best win of the season and, tactically, has the game to outsmart Kecmanovic. That gusto and clever use of the court will be needed here, and I expect him to thrive in the altitude.
Prediction: Altmaier in 3
Casper Ruud vs Dusan Lajovic
Head-to-head: Ruud 3-1 Lajovic
Casper Ruud survived a testing opening match against Christopher Eubanks, which was played three days after his defeat in the Los Cabos final. Although he dropped the second set in a tie-break, Ruud did not face a single break point in the contest. Dusan Lajovic’s experience proved too much for the home wild card Pacheco Mendez. The Serb won 6-2 6-2 and, like Ruud, did not relinquish a single break point on his serve. The Norwegian has won their two previous hard court bouts in straight sets. He has found momentum on hard courts and just in time for key events in March. This will be a good all-muscle test for him, but one he’ll pass with flying colors.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Holger Rune vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Holger Rune’s chopping and changing of the members of his support crew did more harm than good. But having rehired Patrick Mouratoglou, let’s hope he’ll find some stability. As first impressions go, he was in top gear in beating American qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-2 6-3. He couldn’t have asked for a more complete performance. The draw couldn’t have been kinder for Rune, who will take on Aleksandar Kovacevic, also a qualifier, in the second round. The World No. 93 continues his fine run of form on Mexican soil after beating Los Cabos champion Jordan Thompson but at the expense of his declining energy level. That was his fourth three-set win in five matches. Advantage very much with the fresher legs of Rune.
Prediction: Rune in 2
Main photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
