Alex de Minaur currently sits 9th in the race to Turin and he will be one of the players looking to bolster his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals at the 500-level event in Vienna. He has a chance to get valuable points here in Vienna but the rest of the players in contention will want their say in the matter. Who do you think will progress? We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article, including possibly Dominic Thiem’s final career match.
ATP Vienna Day 2 Predictions
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Mariano Navone
Head-to-Head: First Meeting
Miomir Kecmanovic secured valuable quarterfinal points in Stockholm by taking advantage of a favorable draw and his opponents’ poor form. He defeated Nicolas Jarry and Cameron Norrie before falling to champion Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals. This marked Kecmanovic’s first consecutive wins since Wimbledon and his first indoor quarterfinal appearance since last year. Meanwhile, Mariano Navone, after climbing from #125 to #29 in the rankings with strong clay performances, recently earned his first indoor win in Antwerp. Although Kecmanovic has been inconsistent this season, he remains the favorite on non-clay surfaces and should have an easier day on court.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 2
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-Head: de Minaur 4:2 Struff
Alex de Minaur has improved key aspects of his game this year, like beating top players and making deep runs, but injuries from Wimbledon and the US Open have hindered his ATP Finals qualification chances. He’s only played three events in the last three months, and his recent return in Antwerp raised concerns about his form. As the top seed, he struggled, losing to Hugo Gaston in three sets. Jan-Lennard Struff also returns from a long break after losing in the first round of the US Open. He’s now committed to working full-time with Marvin Netuschil. Struff has excelled on indoor hard courts at lower levels, but hasn’t replicated this success on the main tour. He hasn’t won 10 indoor matches in a season since 2017, and his Vienna performances have been inconsistent.
De Minaur’s recent form is shaky, and Struff hasn’t played in two months, so the match could go either way depending on who adjusts quickly to the conditions. I tip de Minaur to have a slight advantage.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
Alex Michelson vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-Head: Giron 1:0 Michelson
Alex Michelson has been one of the standout young talents in these ten months of the season and will look to finish the year in solid form. He had an impressive showing in Asia, a quarterfinal appearance in Tokyo before pushing eventual finalist Novak Djokovic to two tiebreaks in the second round at Shanghai. Marcos Giron took part in the action in Antwerp last week and was rewarded for his effort with a run to the quarterfinals. He hadn’t been past the second round of an ATP tournament since securing the title in Newport back in July. Giron got the better of Alex Michelson in that final and will hope to repeat same here. That match went the distance and there’s no indication this match would be any different.
Prediction: Giron in 3
Gael Monfils vs Quentin Halys
Head-to-Head: First Meeting
Monfils thrives on indoor hard courts, with five of his last six finals coming on this surface. This part of the season could give him another significant result. Last year, he extended his streak by winning Stockholm but didn’t defend the title this year. He now starts his European indoor swing in Vienna, where he has had consistent success, including a 2008 final appearance and several quarterfinals. Quentin recently survived a scare in the Vienna qualifiers but recovered to win, similar to his Gstaad run, where he reached the final. He has a solid record on indoor courts, winning 15 of 22 matches this year, including two Challenger finals. Halys also performed well in Stockholm, pushing Grigor Dimitrov to a tough match in the second round.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
