Day two at the ATP Barcelona Open is set to see the stands packed to the rafters with a host of star names ready to open their campaigns in Catalonia. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Carlos Alcaraz vs Nuno Borges and Frances Tiafoe vs Emil Ruusuvuori, but who will advance?
ATP Barcelona Day 2 Predictions
Diego Schwartzman vs Wu Yibing
Head-to-head: Schwartzman 1-0 Wu
Diego Schwartzman and Wu Yibing crossed paths in Miami with the out-of-form Argentine pulling off a surprise win against the ATP Dallas Open open champion. He comes into this match with a major doubt regarding his latest injury. Schwartzman’s shoulder was massaged for a fair bit in his retirement in Monte Carlo. Form-wise, the Argentine has been uninspiring this season and Wu will test his patience here. If he has recovered, he’ll be in control, if not, another defeat could be in the offing. A match of ifs. But on the clay make Schwartzman a slight favourite.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
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Pedro Cachin vs Gijs Brouwer
Head-to-head: first meeting
Pedro Cachin reached the Madrid Challenger final at the weekend where he lost to Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets. He looked totally gassed at the end after playing a trio of three-setters during the week. But it was more of a case where Shevchenko was not leaving any stone unturned in his quest to break the top 100 and absolutely went for his shots. Cachin has had less than 48 hours to recover before his match in Barcelona. Still, don’t expect it to be a physically draining match. Gijs Brouwer is predominantly a baseliner but tends to crush the ball off that lefty serve. He showed in Houston he can hang tough on this surface and he’ll give Cachin a stern test.
Prediction: Cachin in 3
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Jaume Munar vs Matteo Arnaldi
Head-to-head: Munar 1-0 Arnaldi
This tournament is a staple for the Spaniards including Jaume Munar who has played in it since 2015 as a 17-year-old. Although his results don’t stack up to those of his peers, he’s not lost a first-round match in Barcelona in seven years. Arnaldi has navigated the qualifying draw here with two solid wins, making it seven victories in a row following his title success at the Murcia Challenger. The young Italian is in fantastic form with his ability to change direction with ease and the stamina to go toe-to-toe against the tireless Spaniard. This could be a long one, but Arnaldi may well have enough to pull off a shock.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 3
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Jason Kubler vs Daniel Rincon
Head-to-head: first meeting
20-year-old Daniel Rincon will make his ATP debut after earning a wild card at his home tournament. Rincon won the 2021 US Open boys’ title and his career was destined for takeoff after that success. But his projected rise has been excruciatingly slow. This will be a great experience for him, taking the leap from playing ITF tennis to Tour-level competition. Jason Kubler will not treat his opponent lightly. We’ll see a glimpse of the Spaniard’s potential, but the Aussie should cool him off.
Prediction: Kubler in 2
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Casper Ruud vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head: Ruud 1-0 Shelton
Clay might not be a big deal after all for Ben Shelton. He is still a novice on the surface, but the early signs are that Shelton is not intimidated and is rather a bona fide student. The American lefty picked up his second career win on the dirt by beating Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets in a highly entertaining match on Monday. Casper Ruud’s momentum came to a screeching halt in Monte Carlo when he lost to Jan-Lennard Struff, but he should dominate the inexperienced Shelton. The young American has talked about sharpening his game. There are gaps that Ruud will look to exploit and he will succeed.
Prediction: Ruud in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
