Is Walton pulling off another surprise?

Not expected at all in the second round of this tournament, Walton has just beaten Landaluce and sends a seeded player into a depression...

I'll correct myself by saying instead that it was Landaluce who beat himself, the Spaniard felt the pressure and sprayed the court for a good hour, basically handing the win to Walton. The Australian was solid, very few errors, just enough to let his opponent burn himself out. I’m tempted to say it was a one-off, but the draw is manageable against Khachanov; the Russian is still very philosophical in press conferences and explains in detail the reasons for his bad patch. Nothing very juicy, he’s training hard but feels a bit disconnected from the results, he seems a bit detached from it all and that’s not super reassuring. He’s winning few matches this season and everything’s laborious, we’re really waiting for the moment when it clicks but there aren’t many positive signs. A quarter-final in Madrid but nothing else, I think he can rediscover a bit of enjoyment; we still have conditions that suit him with a lively court that should help him on the forehand side. We can hope for some fired-up Spaniards in the stands since he’s appreciated everywhere he goes, enough to bring back his smile and desire to win.

Because yes, the match depends a lot on Khacha. I think Walton will focus on his serve and make him play in the rallies like in the first round; he knows his opponent isn’t confident and he doesn’t need to overdo it either. The level is a notch higher tomorrow, but Khacha doesn’t exactly radiate calm this year, and if he’s still priced too short or we get a good games over line, then that’s where my choice will go.