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ATP Qatar Open Day 3 Predictions Including Fernando Verdasco vs Filip Krajinovic

Fernando Verdasco

Day 3 of the ATP Qatar Open will feature six matches as the round of 16 in Doha come to its conclusion.

We preview four of those matches and predict who will advance to the quarterfinals.

ATP Qatar Open Day 3 Predictions

Miomir Kecmanovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Rising Serbian star Miomir Kecmanovic opened his account for the 2020 season in style. He picked up up from where he left off at the end of 2019, with a comfortable straight sets win over Jordan Thompson in the first round. Kecmanovic’s next assignment will be to thwart Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from repeating his exploits from 2012, when he captured the title in Qatar. The Frenchman has made at least the quarterfinals in each of his previous three visits, and he is the lone former champion in what is a markedly weaker field in Doha this year.

Tsonga, 34, has been a rejuvenated player since returning to action exactly 12 months ago. Having spent majority of the 2018 season recuperating from torn meniscus in his knee, he fell to No.262 by November of that year – his lowest ATP ranking in over 10 years. But the 18-time ATP tour titlist returned to the winner’s circle last year, picking up two tour-level titles and one Challenger trophy in Cassis. Overall he compiled a solid 28-14 win-loss record with 22 wins recorded on hard courts.

Tsonga’s love affair with Doha should continue. His raw firepower on the forehand is likely to cause plenty of trouble for Kecmanovic. The Serbian youngster’s first serve was at 54% in his win over Thompson, a figure that won’t hold him in good stead against the Frenchman.
Prediction: Tsonga in 2

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Milos Raonic vs Corentin Moutet

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Another player on the comeback trail has been Milos Raonic. The 29-year-old has endured a string of injury setbacks in the last couple of years and he hasn’t quite recovered fully to return to the upper echelons of the game. He dubbed his 2019 season “a year to forget,” and it is easy to understand why. Raonic posted a modest 15-12 record and hasn’t won back-to-back matches since reaching the quarterfinals at London’s Queens Club. He is currently ranked just outside the World’s Top 30 and has lost his mantle as Canada’s top-ranked player.

Raonic’s bid to return to winning ways will be massively tested by the talented young Frenchman Corentin Moutet. The 20-year-old famously came close to taking a set off Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters last year before succumbing to scoreboard pressure and lost the match 7-6 6-4. However, Moutet will be upbeat by his progress in 2019. He reached the third round of French Open and won his two ATP Challenger titles which saw him crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Raonic’s fitness is a real concern here and Moutet who is not shy of an upset, has had two solid wins in qualifying and beat Tennys Sandgren in the first round.
Prediction: Moutet in 3

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Marton Fucsovics vs Cem Ilkel

Head-to-Head: First meeting

Marton Fucsovics played in his third straight three-setter to beat Frances Tiafoe and reach the second round of Qatar Open. The Hungarian lost at this stage last year to Djokovic in three sets and he will be delighted at the prospect of facing the newest winner of an ATP main draw match. Prior to his stunning upset of World No.67 Ricardas Berankis, the relatively unknown World No.279 had not registered a tour-level win and he was 1-14 in his career against Top 100 opposition.

Fucsovics should ensure safe passage to the quarterfinals without being overly dramatic.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 2

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Fernando Verdasco vs Filip Krajinovic

Head-to-Head: Verdasco 0-1 Krajinovic

Doha resident Fernando Verdasco will look to reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open for the first time since 2017 where made the last four. Despite having home-court advantage, Verdasco hasn’t gone beyond the second round in five of his last six appearances in the Qatari capital.

The Spaniard will face Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic who recovered from a set down to beat Kyle Edmund in his opener. Krajinovic is a better server and returner than Andujar whom Verdasco battered from the back of the court. But Krajinovic is also a model for inconsistency and erratic performances as evidenced in his surprise first round loss at the US Open to Cedrik-Marcel Stebe. This will be tight, but I am backing Verdasco to pull off a major upset.
Prediction: Verdasco in 3

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Disagree with our ATP Qatar Open Day 3 Predictions? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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