Atlanta Open 2022: Ilya Ivashka vs. Quentin Halys Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Atlanta Open as Ilya Ivashka takes on Quentin Halys in the first round on Tuesday, July 26th, 2022.

Returning Belarusian Ilya Ivashka will look to win on hard courts for the first time this season when he battles France’s Quentin Halys. The winner of this match will play the top seed of the Atlanta Open in Reilly Opelka.

Ilya Ivashka has endured a subpar year on the ATP Tour in 2022. As he arrives at the Atlanta Open, it is pertinent to note, Ivashkahas yet to win on outdoor hard courts this season. While it may seem unrealistic, he has hardly played on the surface this season, with his first-round appearance in Dubai earlier this season his only participation. He is 12-14 for the season after an injury-hit start to the year in Australia. And with Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players taking effect, he will play for the first time in a month.

Quentin Halys, for his part, will make the local trip from Newport to Atlanta. The Frenchman will be appearing at the Atlanta Open for the second time in his career after reaching the Round of 16 as a qualifier in 2017. Halys broke new barriers a couple of months ago when he entered the world’s top 100 for the first time. He played with distinction on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning a couple of titles in Pau and Lille, and recording 34 wins.

Ilya Ivashka and Quentin Halys will meet for the first time on the ATP Tour at the Atlanta Open. Ivashka has enjoyed a more fruitful period at tour level than his opponent and is naturally the strong favorite on hard courts. Halys may not have achieved similar success, but this is the kind of season everything he touches has turned to gold. I still expect the Belarusian to come out on top in this one, but it should be close.