ATP Hamburg 2nd Round Predictions: Federer-Brands, Monfils-Monaco and more

1. Roger Federer v Daniel Brands (Hamburg, R2)

Roger Federer

There are no particularly enthralling matches for either of the WTA tournaments tomorrow so it comes down to Hamburg where the remainder of the 2nd round matches will be completed including Roger Federer's first match, up against Daniel Brands.  This is the first time since 2008 that Federer has played Hamburg and he has certainly drawn a tough opener here.  Brands is a very competent player and although he hasn't exactly set the world alight with just one top ten win this year (over Janko Tipsarevic), he has successfully made it through qualifying and into the main draw of no less than 7 events this year.  In his first match, Brands did not drop serve in a 7-5 6-3 victory over Paolo Lorenzi.  This will be a first career meeting between the pair and I anticipate Brands to give Federer a good workout.

Prediction - Federer to beat Brands in 2 very tight sets

Gael Monfils v Juan Monaco (Hamburg, R2)

The first match up on Center Court in Hamburg tomorrow will be an interesting match-up between the solid clay courter, Juan Monaco and who-knows-what-you-will get, Gael Monfils.  Monaco had a bye in the first round, meanwhile Monfils enjoyed a comfortable first round win over Andrey Golubev, 6-3 6-3.  Monaco has a lead in the head-to-head with 4 wins to 2 and 3 of those have come on the clay.  There is no doubt that clay is Monaco's best surface, but the Argentine has had a turbulent season as he went winless through the first three months of the season.  He steadied the ship with a solid campaign over the European clay court season, which included a title in Dusseldorf, but he has since struggled to string the wins together.  Monfils could certainly win this on his day, but with the head-to-head and Monaco's credentials on this surface, I am going for the Argentine.

Prediction - Monaco to beat Monfils in 3 sets

Best of the rest: ATP Hamburg 2nd Round Predictions

Feliciano Lopez to beat Jan-Lennard Struff in 3 sets

Tommy Haas to beat Blaz Kavcic in 2 sets

Jerzy Janowicz to beat Robin Haase in 2 sets

Tommy Robredo to beat Federico Delbonis in 2 sets

Mikhail Youzhny to beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in 3 sets

Fabio Fognini to beat Albert Ramos in 3 sets

Fernando Verdasco to beat Roberto Bautista-Agut in 2 tight sets

Martin Klizan to beat Carlos Berlocq in 2 sets

Ernests Gulbis to beat Jan Hajek in 2 tight sets

Marcel Granollers to beat Andreas Seppi in 3 sets

Best of the rest: WTA Bad Gastein 2nd Round Predictions

Karin Knapp to beat Alexandra Cadantu in 3 sets

Mona Barthel to beat Lisa-Maria Moser in 2 easy sets

Andrea Hlavackova to beat Viktorija Golubic in 3 sets

Best of the rest: WTA Bastad 2nd Round Predictions

Klara Zakopalova to beat Arantxa Parra Santonja in 2 sets

Johanna Larsson to beat Nina Bratchikova in 2 tight sets

Lourdes Dominguez Lino to beat Teliana Pereira in 2 sets

Alexandra Dulgheru to beat Virginie Razzano in 2 tight sets

I have made a very solid start on my original predictions for both ATP draws, but as usual, the womens is proving much more difficult to call and I have lost both finalists in Bad Gastein.  Bastad remains intact, for now!