The party in Catalonia enters the second day with ten mouth-watering encounters, including that between three-time runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and big-serving Reilly Opelka. Several other matches are also on the cards, but who will advance at ATP Barcelona?
ATP Barcelona Day 2 Predictions
Frances Tiafoe vs Jaume Munar
Head–to–Head: Tiafoe 1 vs 3 Munar
Frances Tiafoe transitioned quickly from a disappointing loss in the Houston final to saving a match point in his Monte Carlo opener against Miomir Kecmanovic before fatigue took over, culminating in a loss to Alexei Popyrin in the next round despite being a set up. After a few days of rest, the American should be prepared for an extensive run in Barcelona.
Jaume Munar could not advance past the qualifying rounds in Monte-Carlo, falling in the opening stage to Daniel Altmaier. In March, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in Miami. He reached the third round but hasn’t experienced much success on clay courts this season, winning just a single match despite clay being his preferred surface.
Munar has won two of their three matches played on clay; nevertheless, Tiafoe triumphed in their most recent match on the surface in Lyon last season. A similar outcome is likely, especially as the American hasn’t lost consecutive matches this season.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Stan Wawrinka vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head–to–Head: Wawrinka 1 vs 0 Fokina
Stan Wawrinka breezed through the first set of the opening round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, taking the first set 6-1 against Alejandro Tabilo. Still, he was unable to sustain that level and ultimately lost in three sets. The 40-year-old has traded three wins and losses this season on clay and will be looking to make it past the first round in what could be his final appearance in Barcelona.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had an impressive start to his European clay season. He defeated seeded players Ben Shelton and Jack Draper on his path to the Monte Carlo semi-finals before narrowly losing to his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. He showcased some truly inspired tennis and tenacity throughout the tournament.
Wawrinka holds a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head encounters, having triumphed in Stockholm last year on hard court. Still, this matchup will present a significantly different challenge on clay against the in-form Davidovich Fokina. The three-time Grand Slam winner can pose problems for Davidovich Fokina, but the world number 42 will outlast him and progress to the next round.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Reilly Opelka
Head–to–Head: Tsitsipas 1 vs 1 Opelka
Stefanos Tsitsipas returns to one of his favorite hunting grounds, yet one of his most disappointing. He has played in four finals at ATP Barcelona without winning any, including last year’s championship match, which saw him lose to Casper Ruud in straight sets. He failed to regain his title at the Monte-Carlo Masters, falling to a quarter-final defeat to Lorenzo Musetti.
The Greek subsequently fell outside the top 15 of the world rankings for the first time since October 2018 and has more points to defend here. Therefore, he cannot afford an early exit at an event where he has largely been successful. He faces Reilly Opelka, who will play his first match on clay this season. His last tournament was in Miami, where he defeated 11th seed Holger Rune before losing to Tomas Machac in the third round.
This will be their first encounter on clay. For a surface to which the American isn’t accustomed, I can’t envisage anything other than a comfortable win for Tsitsipas to get his tournament up and running.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
