Day 2 in Hangzhou brings a mix of home hopes and tour regulars looking to get their campaigns underway at the AITO Hangzhou Open. Ten matches are on the schedule across the day, and there is plenty to get stuck into from a betting and prediction standpoint. Here is how I see three of those first round contests playing out.
These two have met once before each, splitting the head to head at one apiece, so neither carries a psychological edge going in. Sweeny has been the story of the summer in many ways, pulling off a stunning win over Lorenzo Musetti at the US Open and reaching the third round in what felt like a genuine coming of age moment for the 25 year old Australian. He will be desperate to kick on from that and push his ranking into the top 100 for the first time.
Taro Daniel is 33 now and has spent most of this season grinding away on the Challenger circuit trying to keep his ranking ticking over. This is barely his second tour level appearance all year, which tells you something about where he is in his career right now. There is experience there and he will not roll over, but getting back to his peak level and genuinely threatening players on the rise feels like a stretch. Daniel is a cagey customer who could make this uncomfortable, and the split head to head record reflects that unpredictability. I would not be shocked if he nicks this in three sets but I think Sweeny’s momentum and upward trajectory carries him through.
This is a first time meeting between the two. Safiullin is a player who always feels like he is on the verge of putting a serious run together. His Wimbledon campaign this year was a reminder of just how good he can be when things click, reaching the fourth round and looking genuinely dangerous throughout. The frustrating thing with him is the inconsistency outside of those landmark weeks, but a draw like this one in Hangzhou is exactly the kind of opportunity he should be relishing.
Sun Fajing comes in as a qualifier and has not yet registered a win at ATP Tour level. Safiullin should be far too good here on paper, and barring a completely off day from the Russian, I cannot see Fajing causing a major upset. The class difference is significant enough that this should be a fairly routine afternoon for Safiullin if he shows up switched on and ready to compete from the off.
Bellucci leads this head to head one nil, so Majchrzak will be keen to level things up. It has been a genuinely brilliant season for the Pole, who claimed his first ATP title and is closing in on his best ever win total from a single campaign. He does need to rediscover some consistency though, as his recent results have been patchy and dropping out of the top 50 will be something he wants to address sharpish.
Bellucci had a rough time of it at the US Open, suffering a heavy defeat to Taylor Fritz that probably stung his confidence a fair bit. The Italian’s left handed serve is always a weapon and can create real problems, particularly on faster surfaces, so Majchrzak will need to be disciplined with his return game. That said, Majchrzak is the steadier and more reliable performer from the baseline and his experience of grinding out tough three setters should count for plenty here. Bellucci might make it awkward but I think Majchrzak’s consistency and composure win out in the end.
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