ATP Hangzhou Day 2 Predictions Including Marin Cilic vs Nishesh Basavareddy

Marin Cilic winning the ATP 250 in Hangzhou last year was a shocker. Not for a lack of quality from the 2014 US Open champion, it’s just nobody thought he still had it in him. This season, the 36-year-old still has his flashes, even posting multiple Top 10 wins. But qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy doesn’t sound like an easy opening draw at all. Who do you think will come out on top?

ATP Hangzhou Day 2 Predictions

Damir Dzumhur vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Head-to-head: First meeting

Both players were competing at Davis Cup last week in completely different settings–Tomas Martin Etcheverry helped Argentina to an away win on indoor hard in the Netherlands, while Damir Dzumhur went 1-1 in his singles rubbers on clay in Ecuador. Etcheverry is not a hard-court master by any means, but he’s actually been pretty solid recently and might not be as bothered by Dzumhur’s tricky playstyle as some more power-oriented opponent would be.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 3

Aleksandar Vukic vs David Goffin

Head-to-head: 1-1

They’ve already played twice this season and with the form they’re both in, these matches felt like encounters won by the player who was more solid on the day rather than bringing anything close to their peak standard. David Goffin has only posted a couple of victories since getting injured during the clay season, while Aleksandar Vukic was selected for Australia’s 5th Davis Cup rubber on the weekend and couldn’t bring the win home. He’s been in slightly better rhythm than Goffin, but this is just on form of the day.
Prediction: Vukic in 2

Nishesh Basavareddy vs Marin Cilic

Head-to-head: First meeting

Marin Cilic was ranked outside the Top 750 when he won this tournament last year, proving he still had his vintage quality to tap into. We’ve seen numerous instances of that this season as well, but recently his schedule was pretty limited with no matches between Wimbledon and the US Open. Davis Cup on the weekend wasn’t convincing either, even though the indoor clay conditions in Osijek probably didn’t help. Someone as talented as Nishesh Basavareddy might have enough to grind it out right now, if the body holds up.
Prediction: Basavareddy in 3