17 out of 28 players in the main draw of the ATP Dallas Open are American, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re getting plenty of clashes between two representatives of the United States. In one of these, veteran Steve Johnson takes on fifth seed Christopher Eubanks. We also have predictions for the rest of Tuesday’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Dallas Day 2 Predictions
Nicolas Moreno de Alboran vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: First meeting
Marcos Giron played and lost just two matches in January, but the American usually does extremely well in Dallas (semifinals in 2022, quarterfinals in 2023). Nicolas Moreno de Alboran isn’t completely devoid of top-100 potential and has a sneaky good serve. It’s been a while since he reminded us of all of that though and his qualifying campaign here wasn’t that impressive. It will be hard for him to hit through someone as solid and all-rounded as Giron.
Prediction: Giron in 2
Pedro Martinez vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-head: Martinez 1-0
It’s an interesting call from Pedro Martinez to come here, but he did win an indoor Challenger just a few months ago. Yoshihito Nishioka was playing Davis Cup in Egypt last weekend (against Lebanon) on clay, so it will have to be a quick transition between surfaces and not much time to deal with the jet lag. Ultimately he’s a lot stronger than Martinez under the roof though and Nishioka should have plenty of confidence from that Davis Cup appearance too, he really saved the day for team Japan.
Prediction: Nishioka in 2
Jordan Thompson vs Adam Neff
Head-to-head: First meeting
Adam Neff is well-known to college tennis fans (he started at North Carolina now plays for Southern Methodist University), but last year he also provided an impressive run at the only Challenger he played in Tyler (quarterfinal). It will be fun to see how he handles himself at a stage like this. Jordan Thompson might simply be too strong though, especially in indoor conditions where his first serve becomes a massive threat.
Prediction: Thompson in 2
Steve Johnson vs Christopher Eubanks
Head-to-head: Eubanks 2-0
Steve Johnson plays a fairly limited schedule now and mostly events close by, but he did have a few sensational runs at the Challenger level last year with two titles. The American also posted a solid win over Terence Atmane in the final qualifying round. This certainly is much closer than their rankings suggest, and Johnson might have a solid shot at an upset. Now that his career is coming to a close, sometimes he’s also to play with a lot of freedom.
Prediction: Johnson in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
