Lorenzo Musetti will take on controversial French player Corentin Moutet, while Arthur Fils will battle American Brandon Nakashima for a spot in the Barcelona quarterfinals. Fils won a thriller in the first round.
(2) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Corentin Moutet
Any time Corentin Moutet takes the court, there is potential for fireworks. The world No. 31 was involved in an on-court shoving match with Adrian Andreev at a Challenger event in 2022 and nearly came to blows with Alexander Bublik last March. There’s no guarantee that Moutet is going to punch someone, but there’s always an outside chance.
His Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell second-round opponent — Lorenzo Musetti — can be a hothead, as well. This may be a match to watch, but Musetti goes in as a firm favorite. He has never so much as lost a set to the French player, and his form has finally improved since his unfortunate retirement up two sets to none on Novak Djokovic in the quarters of the Australian Open. A straight-set win over Martin Landaluce in round one was an encouraging sign.
Cheryl pick: Musetti in 2
Ricky pick: Musetti in 3
(9) Arthur Fils vs. Brandon Nakashima
Arthur Fils is playing great tennis right now. He comes into Barcelona off an impressive run to the semifinals of Miami. The Frenchman is well-rested for Munich, too, after skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters.
American Brandon Nakashima had a good start to the year, making the final in Brisbane and the semis in Acapulco. However, he is more at home on hard courts than he is on dirt — as is the case for many American players. Clay is his least successful surface and he runs into one of the more in-form players on tour right now. Expect Fils to make his way to the quarterfinals in comfortable fashion.
Cheryl pick: Fils in 2
Ricky pick: Fils in 2