Six men’s singles main draw matches have been scheduled for Thursday at the China Open. Eighth seed Alexander Bublik was unlucky in landing someone just six spots lower than him in the ATP Rankings in the opening round. Can Flavio Cobolli deliver another win in what’s been a spectacular season? Who do you think will prevail at ATP Beijing? We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article–Featuring Jannik Sinner vs Nicolas Jarry.

ATP Beijing Day 1 Predictions

Tallon Griekspoor vs Miomir Kecmanovic

Head-to-head: 1-1

Miomir Kecmanovic has already pushed Tallon Griekspoor twice this year, both on grass. Especially in s’Hertogenbosch, that was pretty unexpected, and the Dutchman had to be very clutch to avoid having a losing record to this opponent in 2024. It’s clear that Griekspoor’s powerful shots often come back with interest in this matchup, and Kecmanovic can withstand that pace pretty well. This doesn’t seem anywhere near as obvious as it did in June or July.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 3

Yi Zhou vs Pavel Kotov

Head-to-head: First meeting

Yi Zhou picked up his maiden ATP Tour win in Chengdu last week and seems to be the best candidate to potentially become China’s fifth Top 100 player in the future. Formerly a great junior, he’s got the physicality to back up with powerful shots and if not for lacking experience, he also would have defeated Adrian Mannarino a few days ago. The game is still quite raw, though, and a qualifier like Pavel Kotov should still be treating this as a good opportunity to keep his momentum going.
Prediction: Kotov in 2

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Alexander Bublik vs Flavio Cobolli

Head-to-head: First meeting

The progress that Flavio Cobolli made on hard courts this year is pretty spectacular and the Italian seems on the verge of a major breakthrough. But still, Alexander Bublik is an opponent you can’t ever fully write off. When he plays with enough focus and motivation, his talent and shotmaking ability make him as good as almost anybody. Cobolli has to be the favorite, with how versatile he is. Maybe it’s the counter-punching skills that will get him over the line?
Prediction: Cobolli in 3

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports