Winston-Salem R2 previews and predictions: Fils vs. Nakashima, Ruusuvuori vs. Purcell

There are no clear-cut favorites in Winston-Salem, but there is a lot of depth–which means that a whole host of competitive second-round matches should be in the cards for Tuesday. Among them is Arthur Fils vs. Brandon Nakashima.

(7) Arthur Fils vs. Brandon Nakashima

Fils and Nakashima will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Winston-Salem Open on Tuesday. Their only previous encounter certainly did not disappoint; a Lyon semifinal showdown a few months ago went the distance, with Fils prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5) on the way to his first ATP title.

The 19-year-old Frenchman has not slowed down since, with a recent semifinal run in Hamburg followed by successful qualification in Cincinnati. This season has been a much different story for Nakashima, who owns a dreadful 10-16 record. The 72nd-ranked American managed to get past Jason Kubler on Sunday, but he needed a third-set tiebreaker in order to do. Fils is in far superior form and should get his week started in victorious fashion.

Pick: Fils in 2

(16) Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Max Purcell

Once thought of as a doubles specialist, Purcell has been the unexpected breakout performer on the summer hard-court swing. The 25-year-old Australian qualified in Toronto and reached the second round (lost to Andy Murray in a tight three-setter) before qualifying again in Cincinnati and making it all the way to the quarters (lost to Carlos Alcaraz in three sets). Purcell has soared to 47th in the rankings and may be going even higher after coasting past Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-1 on Monday in Winston-Salem.

Up next for Purcell is Ruusuvuori, who won their only previous main-tour meeting 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) at this year’s Australian Open. They also faced each other in qualifying on the indoor hard courts of Nur-Sultan in 2020, when the Finn rolled 6-1, 6-2. Ruusuvuori is currently in solid but unspectacular form, with recent third-round results in both Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati. Given that Purcell has to be fatigued and ready to take his talents to New York, Ruusuvuori should have the edge in this one.

Pick: Ruusuvuori in 3