Thanasi Kokkinakis The look continues its feel-good comeback story as it hits the court in Los Cabos on Tuesday. The Aussie is the No. 7 seed at this tournament, which is an achievement in itself given his injury history in recent years. Joining him in action on Day 2 are Steve Johnson and fernando verdasco. None of the players presented on Tuesday is considered a contender for the title. That’s little surprise given the prowess of the top four seeds in this tournament. However, tennis is a wonderful sport and an incredible upset story is never far away. With that in mind, let’s take a look at all four matches in this set of ATP Los Cabos day 2 predictions. For the other four games on Tuesday, see our first set of predictions.
ATP Los Cabos Day 2 Predictions
Toms Etcheverry vs. Jason Kubler
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Etcheverry
Tomas Etcheverry seems to be in the strange position of being seeded and still being an underdog in a match. That’s due to the fact that the Argentine has played just seven matches on hard courts since the start of last year. By contrast, Jason Kubler played 57 such matches and won 37 of those contests. Etcheverry won his match in the Australian Open qualifiers earlier this year. However, the Aussie is clearly the most successful player on hard courts and I like his chances to avenge that result here in Los Cabos.
Prediction: Kubler at 2
Gonzalo Villanueva vs. Steve Johnson
Face to face: First meeting
A strong first half of the year sees Steve Johnson back inside the top 100 in the men’s game heading into the end of 2022. The American has been a solid player throughout his career without ever rising to truly special heights. However, he is a tough opponent on his day and can cause problems for anyone when he is fit. Gonzalo Villanueva will have to produce something special to come away with an upset win here and I don’t like his chances at all. Johnson is not an elite player on hard courts, but he certainly has more accomplishments on the surface than the Argentine. He supports the American to win.
Prediction: Johnson at 3
John Millman vs. Alex Hernandez
Head to head:
Alex Hernandez is the second native to receive a wild card for this event. However, at 23 years old and ranked 521st in the world, he must wonder if he deserves it. However, this is a great opportunity to get some valuable points in his home country. Unfortunately, I suspect that’s an opportunity he won’t take when he meets John Millman in the first round. The Aussie is returning to a respectable year after struggling a lot in the early stages of 2022. He is a fierce competitor who has historically done a very good job of winning the matches he should win against lesser opponents. He should do the same here and get a relatively easy win to advance to the next round.
Prediction: Millman at 2
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Fernando Verdasco
Head-to-head: 2 – 0 Verdasco
Verdasco’s days on the ATP Tour are numbered. The Spaniard is 38 years old and past the peak of his abilities. That said, the The Spanish has given signs of life in 2022 and you may well be looking for one more fairy tale career to hang up your racket. However, that race is unlikely to come to Los Cabos, as he faces a determined Kokkinakis in the first round. The Aussie is finally playing the tennis many expected of him years ago before injuries curtailed his career. He raised his first ATP title this year and he’s an impressive 16-7 on hard courts in 2022. He’s the best player in the best form and the result on this one will likely reflect that.
Prediction: Kokkinakis at 2
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images