The 31st edition of ATP Delray gets underway in Florida with four matches on the card. Miomir Kecmanovic will be up against home favorite Patrick Kypson in his bid to go one better than last year, while Yoshihito Nishioka will be aiming to replicate his 2020 form, where he made it to the final. We also analyze the other matches to predict who will make it to the next round. But who do you think will advance?
ATP Delray Day 1 Predictions
Aleksandar Vukic vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-Head: Vukic 0 – 1 Lestienne
Aleksandar Vukic has endured a winless start to the year; this is a must-win match for him to rekindle his season. Fortunately for him, he is up against a player who is also being challenged by fitness problems, and considering he’s achieved some of his best results in the U.S., he should secure his first win of the season here.
Prediction: Vukic in 2
Dominik Koepfer vs Nuno Borges
Head-to-Head: Kopefer 0 – 1 Borges
Both players have been firing on all cylinders since the turn of the year, but the German has shown more consistency. Seven of his eight wins this year have been in straight sets, with his only two losses coming against Alexander Zverev and Tommy Paul. Considering that his opponent has lost his last two matches, it’ll be safe to back Koepfer in this one to even their head-to-head.
Prediction: Koepfer in 2
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Patrick Kypson
Head-to-Head: First Meeting
Miomir Kecmanovic has been in fine form this season, and it took Carlos Alcaraz to end his brilliant run at the Australian Open. He will be looking to go one better here in Delray after he lost last year’s final to Taylor Fritz. His opponent, Patrick Kypson, is on a five-match-winning streak, defeating Emilio Nava and James Duckworth to win the Challenger title in Cleveland. Kecmanovic will be a step too far for him at this time, and I expect the Serb to wrap this up pretty quickly.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 2
Matteo Arnaldi vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-Head: First Meeting
Matteo Arnaldi’s excellent 2023 season is still counting for him as he makes his debut here as a seeded player despite being outside the top 100 this time last season. His inconsistency this year, however, saw him exit the second round in Melbourne, even getting bageled in his loss to Alex de Minaur.
His opponent has challenges of his own, too, after he recently withdrew from his match in Dallas against Adrian Mannarino. Nishioka, however, been in fine form until then, and depending on the version of him that turns out on the court, I’ll back the Japanese to grind out a win.
Prediction: Nishioka in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai – USA TODAY Sports
