After an entertaining start to the week at the Maharashtra Open, the quarterfinal line-up will be set with the conclusion of the second round on Thursday. Amongst those set to be in action are the top seed and the Indian #1. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals in Pune?
ATP Maharashtra Open Day 4 Predictions
Taro Daniel vs James Duckworth
Head-to-head: Duckworth 1-0 Daniel
Both Taro Daniel and James Duckworth have recently claimed titles on the ATP’s Challenger Tour. Duckworth triumphed at the Pune Challenger late in 2019. That win in western India saw Duckworth’s ranking return to the edges of the top 100 and was enough to secure him a place in the main draw at his home Slam in Melbourne, although he lost narrowly there in the first round to Aljaz Bedene. But he rebounded impressively in the first round, beating Peter Gojowczyk of Germany in straight-sets.
Daniel, meanwhile, arrived at the Maharashtra Open in excellent form after winning the Burnie Challenger without dropping a set, suggesting that his new partnership with coach Sven Groeneveld is working well. In the first round in Pune, he proved too strong for home hope Sasi Kumar Mukund. And with his forehand giving him a useful weapon and his confidence surely high, he should be able to get the better of Duckworth to reach the last eight.
Prediction: Daniel in 3
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Benoit Paire vs Roberto Marcora
Head-to-head: Paire 1-1 Marcora
Benoit Paire, the top seed in Pune, clearly enjoys playing in India. The Frenchman is playing in the subcontinent for the eighth time, having also been a fixture in the draw when this event was held in Chennai. And it is not hard to see why, with the Frenchman having twice made the semifinals in India. He has made a solid start to 2020, making his ninth tour-level final in Auckland, although he did lose to former-finalist Marin Cilic in the second round at the Australian Open.
His first opponent in Pune, Roberto Marcora, beat Paire in their most recent meeting, which came last year on the clay at a Challenger in Sophia Antipolis and the Italian has impressed so far at the Maharashtra Open. He came through the qualifying without dropping a set, before dismissing Lukas Rosol 6-3 6-2. However, Paire marks a significant step up in quality with the Frenchman ranked inside the top 20 for a reason. Expect a routine win for the top seed.
Prediction: Paire in 2
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Prajnesh Gunneswaran vs Kwon Soon-woo
Head-to-head: Kwon Soon-woo 1-0 Gunneswaran
Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the lone Indian left in the singles draw. With his countrymen failing to impress, the Indian #1 claimed a 7-6 7-6 win over Germany’s Yannick Maden to reach the second round, in what was his first tour-level win since the Winston-Salem Open last August. But with injury problems having been a fixture of his career, it remains to be seen whether his body will allow him to win back-to-back matches on the ATP Tour.
Kwon Soon-woo, meanwhile, is enjoying the protection of a top four seeding at an ATP event for the first time in his career. That rather illustrates the lack of depth in the draw in Pune, but the 22-year-old South Korean nonetheless deserves credit for the career he is building. But with Gunneswaran seemingly playing pain free and certain to have the fulsome backing of the crowd, expect him to get past the youngster and into the last eight.
Prediction: Gunneswaran in 3
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Egor Gerasimov vs Nikola Milojevic
Head-to-head: Gerasimov 1-1 Milojevic
Egor Gerasimov still plays much of his tennis on the Challenger Tour, but after years of hard work the Belarusian is on the cusp of breaking through to become a regular at ATP-level. He is currently at a career-high ranking of world #90 after putting together a fine run last autumn, highlighted by a career-best win over then-world #8 Matteo Berrettini in St Petersburg en route to the semifinals. He also beat John Isner in Chengdu, reaching the quarterfinals there.
In Melbourne, he beat Casper Ruud to make the second round and he scored his second tour-level win of the year by beating Paolo Lorenzi in the first round at the Maharashtra Open. Nikola Milojevic, meanwhile, is a former-junior world #1, but he has struggled to make the transition into the professional ranks, although his 7-6 6-4 win over Antoine Hoang in the first round was impressive. Nonetheless, he seems destined to struggle against the more experienced Gerasimov.
Prediction: Gerasimov in 2
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