Only a clever one could predict what's going to happen!

With Cerundolo and Machac, two players capable of the very best and the very worst, it’s never easy to make an accurate prediction.

Good first round from Cerundolo, who has just knocked out the three-time winner Stefanos Tsitsipas. We can congratulate the Argentine, who was the better player for a large part of the match, but the level was honestly disappointing compared to what we were expecting. Tsitsi played really badly, yet he still found himself up 5–3 in the first set before getting pegged back and folding. He had a burst of pride at the end of the match because Cerundolo was showing some nerves too! The Argentine handed over two breaks with double faults, and I can tell you that at the end of the match, when it came to closing it out, his arm was shaking! I still have that same feeling about Cerundolo: he can play really well, but he desperately lacks consistency yet again.

In terms of consistency, Machac is even worse: he can win a tournament like he did at the start of the year and then lose to absolutely anyone! He beat Altmaier in three sets, and the German is coming back strong, so I feel like it was a tricky first round that he managed to get through. Last year it was the same story before he took a set off ADM and then lost 6–0 6–3, which is typical Machac: he can play lights-out tennis and then suddenly disappear. Against Cerundolo, he’ll need to attack whenever he can and avoid letting the Argentine dictate too often with his forehand.

I see Cerundolo as a bit more stable, with a higher average level, whereas Machac hasn’t had any big performances for quite a while, when you think about it. The Czech doesn’t inspire much confidence, and yet I still think he’s capable of taking a set tomorrow.