It’s been a very exciting first two days at the ATP Murray River Open! And there are plenty more fascinating to be played on Day 3! Who will rise to the occasion and who will fall short? I give my best guesses here.
ATP Murray River Open Day 3 Predictions
Pedro Sousa vs Dan Evans
Head to Head: never played
Pedro continued his winning ways from 2020 when he took out Li Tu in the first round of this tournament in a tight straight sets match. Going back to 2020, Sousa has now won six matches in a row. Dan Evans had a standout 2020. The Brit really established himself as a solid top 50 player with a fun game to watch. This is Evans’ first match of 2021.
These two have never played before. Sousa has a huge forehand, but much prefers clay to hard courts. Evans does a great job utilizing variety in his game and his backhand slice is one of the best on the tour. Evans’ variety will make Sousa very uncomfortable out there and not give him the rhythm he needs to win this match. Evans advances.
Prediction: Evans in 2
Jeremy Chardy vs Gilles Simon
Head to Head: 4-3 Simon
Jeremy Chardy had a spectacular win over Marin Cilic in the first round of the Murray River Open. Chardy saved five match points in the final set tiebreak. Gilles Simon had a comfortable victory over Elias Ymer in his first match of the season. Simon only faced break points in one service game during the match, saving all three he faced in that game.
Simon leads the head to head 4-3. However, Chardy has won three straight in the head to head and is 3-2 on hard courts. This is the classic offense-defense matchup. Chardy will look to be aggressive with his serve and take control of points early on. Simon will counter that with consistent play from the baseline, hitting with incredible depth and placement. Chardy has played really well in both Antalya and Melbourne, but Simon’s win over Ymer was encouraging and I think his foot speed and defensive skills force Chardy to overhit often in this match. Simon wins a close one.
Prediction: Simon in 3
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Harry Bourchier vs Nick Kyrgios
Head to Head: never played
Harry Bourchier used his alternate spot in the draw well, taking out Marc Polmans in straight sets in the first round. Playing in this tournament is surely a treat for the World No. 324. Nick Kyrgios shook off some rust in his tight three-set victory over Alexandre Muller. It took 22 aces and a third set tiebreak for Kyrgios to see off the Frenchman.
These two have never played before. Bourchier plays a pretty standard game. Decent serve and groundstrokes, but nothing near Kyrgios’ level. Kyrgios was rusty for that match with Muller, but I expect him to play better in this one. With his serve and ability to control the baseline with his groundstrokes, he’s in another league compared to Bourchier. Kyrgios moves on.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 2
Borna Coric vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Head to Head: never played
Borna Coric will be playing his first match of the season here. Coric last played in the 2020 Paris Masters. Emil Ruusuvuori picked up a comfortable win over Viktor Troicki in the first round of the Murray River Open. Ruusuvuori won 100% of his first serve points, while serving at 73%. That’s really impressive.
These two have never played before. Coric moves great around the court and is a great counterpuncher. He will get a lot of balls back and in uncomfortable positions for the hard-hitting Ruusuvuori. I think this is a tough match for Ruusuvuori. Coric will test his rally tolerance, movement, and fitness. Coric won’t allow Ruusuvuori to get near his first serve numbers today. Yes, it’s Coric’s first matchup of the season, but I think he comes through here. Coric moves on.
Prediction: Coric in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
