Day two in Madrid will see the legendary Rafael Nadal join what could be his last outing at the ATP Madrid Open. Other big guns enter the fray and as, always we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Richard Gasquet vs Lorenzo Sonego, Rafael Nadal vs Darwin Blanch and Alex Michelsen vs Joao Fonseca. But who will advance?
ATP Madrid Day 2 Predictions
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Tomas Machac
Head-to-head: Ruusuvuori 1-0 Machac
Emil Ruusuvuori started the season on a positive note but hasn’t won a match since he retired against Karen Khachanov in Doha. Tomas Machac also pulled out of his most recent match in Barcelona and it remains to be seen what his current condition is.
With both players having physical concerns going into the match, the tide of the match will depend on who is in optimal condition. Both are capable of taking each other but Machac has more games under his belt this season and he should have more motivation on his debut in Madrid.
Prediction: Machac in 3
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Dusan Lajovic vs Thiago Monteiro
Head-to-head: Lajovic 3-3 Monteiro
This promises to be a slugfest on the dirt between players who are familiar with each other. Their split head-to-head piercingly illustrates that this match could go either way. Tellingly, both arrive here in good form, with the Serbian on his way to the Barcelona final until Stefanos Tsitsipas staged a remarkable comeback. In a battle between two capable players, I’ll side with the more experienced Lajovic to continue his solid form.
Prediction: Lajovic in 3
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Hamad Medjedovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
After a solitary win all season, Hamad Medjedovic is beginning to find his rhythm with two solid wins in the qualifiers. His first meeting against his American opponent promises to be a feisty one. Kovacevic breezed through the qualifiers without dropping a set to continue his decent form this season. Medjedovic is the better clay court player and if he has his eyes on the next round, he will get to it.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 3
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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-head: Auger-Aliassime 3-2 Nishioka
Yoshihito Nishioka faces fitness issues coming into this match but he will retain some confidence against the Canadian he is ahead of in their previous meetings. He’s also defeated him on their only encounter on clay.
Felix Auger-Alliasime hasn’t reached the peak of the form that catapulted him into a top #20 player last season but he is inching there.
Nishioka can be a dangerous player but in his current form, shouldn’t pose enough danger.
Prediction: Auger-Alliasame in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
