A big second round match will be played in Rotterdam on Thursday, with Alex de Minaur taking on Stan Wawrinka. The winner will face Stefanos Tsitsipas or Botic van de Zandsculpt in the quarter-finals.
(1) Alex de Minaur vs. Stan Wawrinka
De Minaur and Wawrinka will face each other for the second time in their careers on Thursday when they meet in the second round of the ABN AMRO Open. Their only previous meeting came at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, where De Minaur rolled 6-3, 6-0.
Wawrinka is two years older (now 40) and De Minaur has only gotten better since then, but the veteran can’t quite be counted out. He has already won five matches on the main tour in 2026 – more than in all of 2025 (four). That includes a 6-3, 6-4 victory over lucky loser Thijs Boogaard on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Wawrinka, De Minaur remains in excellent form. The eighth-ranked Aussie is coming off a quarterfinal in Melbourne, beating Arthur Fils 7-6(3), 6-2 on Tuesday. Moreover, De Minaur has finished second in Rotterdam each time in the past two years. The top seed loves this tournament.
Choice: De Minaur in 2
Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas and Van de Zandschulp will face each other for the third time in their careers on Thursday. Both of their previous encounters – both on indoor hard courts – went Tsitsipas’ way; 7-5, 6-3 at the 2023 Antwerp tournament and 7-5, 6-4 at the 2024 Basel ATP 500.
With the home advantage in Rotterdam, this could be the moment for Van de Zandschulp to turn the tide. The 65th-ranked Dutchman is 4-3 this season with his only defeats coming against Novak Djokovic, Alexander Bublik and Ugo Humbert. Van de Zandschulp seems to be playing more inspired tennis with new coach Raemon Sluiter in his corner, so a small setback in front of his own audience would not come as a big shock. Tsitsipas did well to beat Arthur Rinderknech on Wednesday, but the 32nd-ranked Greek still appears not to be at his best.
Pick: Van de Zandschulp in 3
#Rotterdam #picks #Minaur #Wawrinka #Tsitsipas #Zandschulp