Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Winston-Salem match.
Miomir Kecmanović
The Serb is rated only a marginal favourite here, with a 55-60% chance of progressing to round two. His most notable recent run came at Wimbledon, reaching the third round before falling to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. One point to note is the decline in his hard-court matches going over 21.5 games — down by 12%.
Aleksandar Kovacevic
The American shows similar tendencies on hard courts, with 67% of matches going over 21 games, dropping to 48% at the 23-game line. Recently, though, his contests have tended to run long. In Winston-Salem’s opening round he came through in two tie-breaks against Filip Misolic. In Cincinnati, Kovacevic went out in the first round but pushed Tristan Boyer close (5:7, 6:7), and in Washington he took 11th seed Frances Tiafoe to three sets (5:7, 6:3, 3:6). That shows his ability to compete with higher-ranked opponents despite slipping to 123rd in the world after being as high as 62.
Miomir Kecmanović vs Aleksandar Kovacevic Prediction
Kecmanović comes in with a six-match streak of overs at regular tour events since Halle. While the Serb has the edge in quality, the match-up suggests another drawn-out battle. Kovacevic thrives in long exchanges and with home fans behind him, he has every chance of forcing a decider.
