Atlanta Open 2024: Reilly Opelka vs Aleksandar Kovacevic; Preview, Head-to-Head and Prediction

What a comeback it has been for Reilly Opelka! After having continued a series of injuries and undergo After surgeries on his hip and wrists, Opelka made a strong comeback in Newport. He became the lowest-ranked ATP semifinalist by beating Mackenzie McDonald in the QF. The 26-year-old tennis star’s dream run came to an end due to the efforts of his compatriot Alex Michelsen in the semi-finals. Now he is all set to begin his campaign at the 2024 Atlanta Open. Opelka will face Alexander Kovacevic in his first match in this tournament.

Can New York’s Kovacevic mount a challenge against the Floridan? Well, Kova is a solid player on hardcourt, and we have already saw his flare earlier this year at the AO. He reached the R2 of the AO for the first time in his career. In addition, the 25-year-old American tennis player has also played two QFs this season. This is Real It’s going to be an exciting match in Atlanta!

Reilly Opelka vs Aleksandar Kovacevic: Preview

Opelka hasn’t played much since his return And As we mentioned earlier, this is only his second tournament of the 2024 season. Howeverwithin that short time spanReilly Opelka showed us his skills. He fought three thrilling three-setters to reach the semi-finals in Newport. In the SF, however, he was defeated by Michelsen with a score of 2-6,0-6. Opelka hit 8 aces and dedicated 1 double fault in that match. He won only 50% of his first serve and 38% of his second serve. However, in the breakpoints he was 0/3!

If we take a look at his numbers for the 2024 season, Reilly Opelka has hit 70 aces and made only 16 double faults. He has won 80% of his serves games and 13% of his return games.

Alexander Kovacevic on the other hand also goes into this match after a defeat against the same opponent in the QF of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. Alex Michelsen defeated Kovacevic 6-4,6-4 in the QF. However, Kova managed to hit 12 aces in that match and did not make any single double fault. He won 67% of his first serve and 50% of his second serve. Aleksandar Kovacevic was 0/1 in break points against Michelsen.

He has hit 191 aces this season and made about 69 double faults. Kovacevic has won 82% of his service games and only 12% of his return games. Has Aleksandar Kovacevic met Reilly Opelka before in his career?

Opelka vs Kovacevic: Head-to-Head

Well, the answer is no! They’ve never played each other. Both these american tennis stars have a lot of to prove himself in front of his home crowd. Who will win this exciting battle?

Prediction: Opelka to win this match in three sets

Reilly Opelka played exceptional tennis in his previous tournament. The Floridian will now I would like to repeat a similar long streak in this tournament. He returned to the Tour after almost a gap of two years. You can imagine how hungry he will be to be back where he once belonged. So far he has managed a win-loss record of 3-2 this season, while his opponent, Aleksandar Kovacevic, has recorded 7-15.

Despite not playing much in the 2024 season, Opelka has already shown glimpses of his potential in Newport. Kovacevic will need to convert half-chances and find his rhythm from the start to have a chance against the former world number 17.

The 6ft 11 inches Reilly Opelka is the tallest player on Tour. His incredible height helps him generate a fair amount of power in his serve and it is this same gigantic presence on the court that makes his opponents on the other side of the court a little shaky. Apart from that, his powerful serves can Real be a useful weapon against Kovacevic on the hard courts in Atlanta.

The consistency and accuracy with its service are its greatest asset. However, one must Don’t forget his incredible volleys! Reilly Opelka generally moves quite well on the court despite his tall stature, But In his previous matches he seemed to have some trouble with his movements. This could prove to be an advantage for Aleksandar Kovacevic. Time will tell if he can really capitalize on it, but one thing is for sure: he will be happy to use his venomous forehands against Opelka in this match. But is it enough to upset all comparisons? Maybe not!