Day 1 at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid won’t feature the seeds yet, but it is sure to feature some very high-quality and exciting action, with lower-ranked players fighting to get a run going here, especially after Struff unexpectedly reached the final here last year. With Novak Djokovic out and Carlos Alcaraz struggling with injuries recently and unusually fast clay court conditions here in Madrid, it’s definitely not impossible that we will see an unseeded player make a very deep run again.
ATP Madrid Day 1 Predictions
Luca Van Assche vs Zizou Bergs
Head-to-head: Van Assche 1-0 Bergs
Bergs has been getting some excellent results at the Challenger level, while Van Assche has been struggling at the ATP level with his consistent but not very powerful ranking. Their rankings are very close, and it should be a very close match that could go either way. Perhaps the confidence Bergs must have acquired with his recent wins will make the difference.
Prediction: Bergs in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Shang Juncheng
Head-to-head: first meeting
It should be another very close match; Moutet has played very well in qualifying to make the main draw, but Shang is one of the fastest-rising young players in the world, even though he hasn’t shown all that much on this surface yet. It should be a very close match, decided by small details, with perhaps Moutet’s superior experience giving him the edge in the end.
Prediction: Moutet in 3
Brandon Nakashima vs Facundo Bagnis
Head-to-head: first meeting
Both players struggled a bit but eventually made it through qualifying to get to this main draw. On any other surface, Nakashima would have a very clear edge, but clay is a great equalizer here; it doesn’t fit Nakashima’s game, while it is the surface that allowed Bagnis to make a career for himself. It should be a very close match, but Bagnis might actually have the slight edge.
Prediction: Bagnis in 3
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: Kokkinakis 1-1 Draper
The pair have faced off twice in the last nine months, and both matches were incredibly tight. It should be the case again; Kokkinakis played great tennis during qualifying and is a capable player on this surface, while Draper is a great talent mostly held back by injuries. In fact, it could be said this is a duel between two players whose injuries severely affected their potential. It should be extremely close either way.
Prediction: Kokkinakis in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
