'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAARBQYSMQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABREAAwABAQkAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFBhMUITFCUmH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AI90erbSuq0uTv0I6yOlkV53RpovBcKrAhoxsHag6bI4Ob6zIA81S88rDbuZNlmP0k+sYwnRUdoMSxJ4r9z9xneAT0e0kSMYBeWj0aSP4j2Bz//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The men's singles main draw action at the Madrid Open will begin on Wednesday, April 26, with several opening-round matches taking place.
Stan Wawrinka will face Maxime Cressy in what will be arguably the most anticipated match of the day, while Alexander Bublik will be up against Daniel Elahi Galan.
Richard Gasquet will face wildcard Martin Landaluce while David Goffin will lock horns with Roberto Carballes Baena. The likes of Thanasi Kokkinakis, Diego Schwartzman and Emil Ruusuvuori will also be in action.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the matches that will take place on the opening day of the men's singles tournament at the Madrid Open.
#1. Alexander Bublik vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Alexander Bublik will face Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round of the Madrid Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Bublik beating the Colombian 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of last year's Miami Open.
Neither player has fared well so far this season, with the Kazakh winning four out of 18 matches while Galan came out on top in just two out of 11 matches.
Bublik has won only 11 out of 31 matches on clay in his career, but he should be able to get the better of the 100th ranked Galan and reach the second round of the Madrid Open.
Predicted Winner: Alexander Bublik
#2. Richard Gasquet vs Martin Landaluce
Richard Gasquet will face 17-year-old Martin Landaluce in the first round of the Madrid Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Gasquet most recently competed at the Srpska Open in Banja Luka, where he reached the second round before losing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(3) to Damir Dzumhur. Landaluce, on the other hand, was beaten 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 by Hugo Grenier in his first qualifying match for the Barcelona Open.
Gasquet has won nine out of 18 matches so far this season. He won the ASB Classic in Auckland in January. He will enter the match as the favorite to win and should be able to beat the inexperienced Landaluce to book his place in the second round of the Madrid Open.
Predicted Winner: Richard Gasquet
#3. Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Jaume Munar
Thanasi Kokkinakis will face Jaume Munar in the first round of the Madrid Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Kokkinakis' last appearance on the ATP Tour came at the Miami Open, where he reached the second round before losing a three-set thriller 6-7(10), 7-6(7), 7-6(6) to Hubert Hurkacz. Munar most recently competed at the Barcelona Open, where he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Matteo Arnaldi in the first round.
Kokkinakis has won eight out of 14 matches so far this season, with his most notable performance being reaching the semifinals of the Adelaide International 2. Munar, on the other hand, has triumphed in only six out of 17 matches so far in 2023, with his best outing coming at the Chile Open where he reached the final four.
The Spaniard is a relatively better player on clay and will feel at home in Madrid. So, there is a fair chance of him beating Kokkinakis and reaching the second round of the Madrid Open.
Predicted Winner: Jaume Munar
#4. Emil Ruusuvuori vs Ugo Humbert
Emil Ruusuvuori will face Ugo Humbert in the first round of the Madrid Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Ruusuvuori winning their previous clash 6-2, 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of last year's French Open.
Ruusuvuori has produced some promising performances so far this season and has 13 wins in 24 matches. He reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. He recently made it to the third round of the Barcelona Open before losing to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Humbert has won seven out of 14 matches so far in 2023, with his best performances being reaching the third round of the Australian Open and Indian Wells Masters. The Frenchman most recently competed at the BMW Open in Munich, where he lost to Christopher O'Connell in the opening round.
Ruusuvuori's recent performances mean he is the favorite to win and should be able to get the better of Humbert to reach the second round of the Madrid Open.
Predicted Winner: Emil Ruusuvuori
#5. David Goffin vs Roberto Carballes Baena
David Goffin will face Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round of the Madrid Open. It will be the third meeting between the two, with Goffin leading 2-1 in the head-to-head.
The Belgian most recently competed at the Barcelona Open, where he reached the second round before losing 6-1, 7-5 to Yoshihito Nishioka. Carballes Baena took part in the BMW Open, where he was beaten 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 by Marcos Giron in the opening round.
Goffin has won five out of 12 matches so far in 2023, while the Spaniard has triumphed in nine out of 18. However, the Belgian's experience could see him come out on top and reach the second round of the Madrid Open.
Predicted winner: David Goffin
