Wednesday Milan Preview: De Minaur, Kecmanovic Look To Stay Unbeaten

Two battles of unbeatens will highlight day two of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan on Wednesday.

In the afternoon session, top seed Alex de Minaur of Australia will meet Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, the fifth seed, as both players look to move to 2-0 at the award-winning 21-and-under tournament.

De Minaur will try to improve to 5-0 in group matches in Milan, after going 3-0 last year and beating seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 4-2, 3-4(5), 4-1, 4-1 in Group A on day one.

“Obviously it’s my second time around with these different rules. Going in, I knew it was going to be a tough match, especially with these conditions, anything can happen. The match can turn at any moment,” De Minaur said.

The Aussie, who has won three ATP Tour titles this season (Sydney, Atlanta, Zhuhai), has never faced Kecmanovic, who reached his first ATP Tour final in Antalya in June and advanced in straight sets against Norway’s Casper Ruud on Tuesday.

“I think I like it. I think I thrive in it very well,” Kecmanovic said of the shorter scoring format in Milan.

Wednesday’s opener features Ruud against Davidovich Fokina as both players will look to get on the board and give their semi-final hopes a jolt. De Minaur can qualify if he beats Kecmanovic and Davidovich Fokina overcomes Ruud.

To end the evening session, sixth seed Mikael Ymer of Sweden will face eighth seed and wild card Italy’s Jannik Sinner to see who will move to 2-0. Both players pulled off inspiring upsets on Tuesday.

More From Day One In Milan
Sinner Brings The Energy In Tiafoe Upset
Ymer Maintains Top Form
De Minaur Battles Past Davidovich Fokina
Kecmanovic Serves Up Victory In Milan

Ymer dominated third seed Ugo Humbert of France 4-3(2), 1-4, 4-2, 4-1 in Group B. Since 23 September, the Swede has climbed 31 spots in the ATP Rankings, from No. 105 to No. 74.

Sinner, behind a boisterous Milan crowd, overcame a hot start from second seed Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. to win 3-4(4), 4-2, 4-2, 4-2. Sinner started the season at No. 551 in the ATP Rankings. He enters Milan at No. 95, a climb of 456 spots.

Tiafoe, who is making his second Milan showing, and Humbert will kick off the evening session.

SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2019
ALLIANZ CLOUD COURT start 2:00 pm
[4] C. Ruud (NOR) vs [7] A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[1] A. de Minaur (AUS) vs [5] M. Kecmanovic (SRB)

Not Before 7:30 pm
[2] F. Tiafoe (USA) vs [3] U. Humbert (FRA)
[6] M. Ymer (SWE) vs [8] [WC] J. Sinner (ITA)