The ATP Marseille Open 2020 has seen some quality over the past two days but the tennis is bound to scale higher levels as the top seeds open up their respective campaigns. Day 3 will certainly be action-packed with a mix of Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches.
We preview and predict all six matches scheduled for Day 3 split over two articles. These predictions are for the first-round clashes, and we also have second-round predictions.
ATP Marseille Open Day 3 Predictions
Egor Gerasimov vs Dennis Novak
Head to head – First Meeting
Vital ranking points are on offer for both players. Judging by recent form, the Belorussian looks better poised to progress forward. Egor Gerasimov is coming off a final appearance in Pune and even though the field quality is debatable, it was still a great result for Gerasimov. Dennis Novak’s last two tournaments have been below par and his game just doesn’t look like it’ll take out Gerasimov who is no doubt the more confident out of the two.
Prediction: Gerasimov in 2
Mikhail Kukushkin vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Head to head – Kukushkin 1-0 Herbert
Mikhail Kukushkin hasn’t quite had the 2020 start he was hoping for and Pierre Hugues-Herbert won’t let him change that fact very easily. The Frenchman looked in decent form in Montpellier and would definitely be fancying his chances.
Kukushkin is a solid baseliner but possesses a pedestrian serve and has led to his downfall several times. Even though he has beaten the Frenchman before in their sole previous meeting, it was a tight three-setter and with the Frenchman serving big and riding on home support it’s tough seeing Kukushkin winning this match. Expect a close contest between the two.
Prediction: Herbert in 3
Stefano Travaglia vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Head to head – First Meeting
This match looks extremely one-sided from the outset. It’s highly unlikely Stefano Travaglia will have much of a say in this match. Felix Auger-Aliassime is looking in sublime form since last week reaching the finals in Rotterdam and can build on that result to catapult his 2020 season. The young Canadian has tremendous potential but has lacked consistency across tournaments. A solid performance in his Marseille opener would be a good start to change that which looks all the more likely against Travaglia. Expect the Canadian to be at his best and progress to the round of 16.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
