A few second-round picks from Eastbourne today, and there are some genuinely interesting matchups to dig into. Which of these do you think produces the biggest surprise?
Lexus Eastbourne Open Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Jan Choinski
Head-to-head: First meeting
Fritz is the big name here, but grass is a different animal, and Choinski is a genuine grass-court threat, the kind of player who can string together results on this surface that he simply doesn't manage on clay or hard. Fritz has had some solid grass results over the years but he's not someone who dominates on it, and coming in without much match practice on the surface, a three-setter is very much on the cards.
Choinski's aggressive game suits these conditions well and playing in front of a crowd that knows him adds something. This is the kind of match that looks like a mismatch on paper and ends up being anything but.
Prediction: Choinski in 3
Gabriel Diallo vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: Diallo 1-0 Etcheverry
Diallo leads the head-to-head, but that win came on hard courts, and this is a completely different conversation on grass. Etcheverry is one of the better clay-court movers around, but grass asks very different questions, and Diallo's big serve and flat ball-striking suit this surface much better than Etcheverry's game does. That said, Etcheverry is the higher-ranked player for a reason and has shown he can adapt.
I think the conditions tip this to Etcheverry in the end. Diallo can serve his way through patches of the match, but Etcheverry is the more complete player right now and should find a way through, all things considered.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 3
Jack Draper vs Jack Pinnington Jones
Head-to-head: First meeting
Draper is ranked lower than you'd expect given where his career has been heading, and fitness has clearly played a part in that. Pinnington Jones is a wildcard with solid grass-court credentials on the domestic circuit, playing in front of a home crowd, and that matters. Hard to see Draper's talent showing up in straight sets when someone's still working their way back.
Pinnington Jones takes this one. Home crowd, comfortable on the surface, and facing a player who's not at full momentum.
Prediction: Jones in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire