Delray Beach Open 2023 Day 2: Men's Singles Predictions ft. Ilya Ivashka vs J.J. Wolf, Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron

The second day of main draw action at the 2023 Delray Beach Open on Tuesday (February 14) will feature seven Round-of-32 matches.

The day will see two wildcards, two qualifiers, one lucky loser and two seeded players - headlined by eighth seed Marcos Giron - hit the courts at the ATP 250 event.

Without further ado, here's a look at the predictions for the seven matches:

#1 Ilya Ivashka vs J.J. Wolf

J.J. Wolf has had a good start to the season.

Ilya Ivashka will open his Delray Beach campaign on Tuesday against ninth seed J.J. Wolf.

The 77th-ranked Ivashka is 0-2 on the season, while World No. 39 Wolf has won seven of his ten matches. Expect the American - who made the Australian Open fourth round last month - to take this first-time match-up.

Prediction: Wolf in straight sets

#2 Radu Albot vs Fernando Verdasco

World No. 113 Radu Albot will take on wildcard Fernando Verdasco for a place in the second round.

Albot has won one of his three matches in 2023, while the 133rd-ranked Verdasco is yet to open his account. The Spaniard has taken the pair's three previous meetings but could fall short here.

Prediction: Albot in three sets

#3 Jack Sock (2017 Delray Beach winner) vs Matija Pecotic

Wildcard Jack Sock will take on qualifier Matia Pecotic in the Delray Beach opening round on Tuesday.

The 143rd-ranked Sock is 1-1 on the season, while World No. 784 Pecotic is making his ATP Tour debut. Expect the 2017 winner to prevail.

Prediction: Sock in three sets

#4 Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron

World No. 42 Ben Shelton will take on the 55th-ranked Marcos Giron in a blockbuster first-round matchup at Delray Beach.

Shelton - fresh off his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open - is 5-2 on the season. Meanwhile, Giron is 5-4 in 2023 after reaching the Dallas last eight last week.

Left-hander Shelton should take this first-time match-up.

Prediction: Shelton in three sets

#5 Daniel Altmaier vs Adrian Mannarino

World No. 97 Daniel Altmaier will take on the 59th-ranked Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in his Delray Beach opener.

Altmaier is 1-3 on the season, while left-hander Mannarino is 5-4 after reaching the Dallas quarterfinals. The Frenchman should win this first-time match-up.

Prediction: Mannarino in straight sets

#6 Taro Daniel vs Mackenzie McDonald

World No. 106 Taro Daniel will take on 56th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald in his Delray Beach opener.

Daniel is 2-1 this season, while McDonald - who stunned 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open last month - is 6-4 in 2023.

McDonald won their lone meeting in the Indian Wells third round two years ago and should do the trick again.

Prediction: McDonald in straight sets

#7 Aleksandar Vukic vs Christopher Eubanks

Lucky loser Aleksandar Vukic will look horns with American qualifier Christopher Eubanks for a place in the second round.

The 171st-ranked Vukic is winless in one match in 2023, while the lanky World No. 102 Eubanks is 2-3 on the season. Expect Eubanks to take this first-time meeting.

Prediction: Eubanks in straight sets

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Puranjay