An open quarter position

Playable for both players even if Koepfer starts with a head start in my opinion, let's see what happens

Complicated match for Koepfer against Kovacevic but he fights and makes the difference in moments when he has to be solid, it's a habit with him lately. The momentum is on his side, he won a match in the Davis Cup and everything is going well for him. Hijikata is a little less good but why not find his level in a tournament like this, he gains confidence in R1 by having a clean match and could well use it this evening. I am still wary of Koepfer as a favorite, I prefer him as an outsider and vice versa for Hijikata. The fact that the German took a small MTO because he wasn't feeling well (no more info on that, it's perhaps anecdotal) makes me lean towards the Australian. The sequence, the trip etc. can play a role, but to what extent?