Atp 500 Barcelona Day 2
Altmeier D. Popyrin A.
Here we have two players who prefer fast surfaces. Popyrin, a powerful player, had a great tournament in Monte Carlo unlike his opponent, who exited in the first round. Despite Altmeier not being in optimal form on these slow surfaces that favor recoveries, and his opponent possibly being a bit tired, I believe the German could make an impact in this match and even take it home.
Cobolli F. Nadal R.
Cobolli comes from a negative period after expending a lot of energy early in the season. He faces the king of clay returning from a lengthy injury, but I believe the Spaniard will want to prove his dominance on the clay court and aim to advance immediately. However, watch out for the audacity of the Roman, who always brings out his best when he has nothing to lose. If Nadal is at his peak, there won't be a match, and I believe it will go that way.
Grenier H. Carballes Baena R.
Here we have the classic powerful physical player like the Frenchman with limited mobility who hits everything he can against his Spanish opponent, from Nadal's school, who feels very comfortable on these surfaces and starts as the favorite. Pay attention especially to the low serving percentages of both players, which could lead to many breaks.
Schwarzman D. Lajovic D.
El Ponce, a player nearing the end of his career, has surpassed qualifiers with much risk and faces an equally experienced player who has always achieved significant results on clay. Lajovic could easily dominate the match, especially on serve and with aggression against his opponent's slow and less varied serves.
Munar J. Nishioka Y.
Here we also have a surface specialist like Munar, who is playing very well, finding consistency, and responding aggressively unlike his usual standard. Nishioka, besides not particularly liking clay, is dealing with physical problems since Acapulco. For this reason, I foresee Spanish dominance.
Van asche L. Zhang Z.
Both players are comfortable on this surface, but while the Chinese likes to push with his forehand and serve, Van Asche prefers to vary and force the opponent to make errors. On these not very fast courts, I see the Frenchman as the favorite, but it's expected to be a hard-fought first round where the serving percentages of both players will make the difference; I also don't exclude many aces from the Chinese and numerous breaks if the match lengthens.