Day 3 of the ATP 500 in Rotterdam is almost here and features the completion of the first round. Yet again we are treated to a bunch of big names including the opening matches of world #7 Alexander Zverev, Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev , Andy Murray, and one of last week’s champions, David Goffin.
ATP Rotterdam Day 3 Predictions
Alexander Bublik vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: 0-0
It’s hard to determine what Bublik makes of his final loss in Singapore just a few days ago. On one hand it’s of course great to make a Tour-level final but on the other hand it’s now zero wins to four losses in finals, and this time from a set up against a player outside the top 100. If anything coming all the way over from Singapore just to draw the likes of a top 10 player in the first round is rubbing salt in the wound.
Zverev’s started the year well mind you just losing to world #1 Novak Djokovic at both the ATP Cup and Australian, both times after taking the opening set. Likelihood is he’ll be completely fresh and ready in an attempt to take his first title here and given the indoor conditions his serve will be deadly but also the slow courts will allow him to set up his forehand and unleash. There shouldn’t be too much issue for the German here.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
David Goffin vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Head-to-head: Goffin 3-2
It took almost four years for David Goffin to get back in the winners circle but thankfully one of the most lovely guys in the sport finally did last Sunday in Montpellier. We all know how good the Belgian can be and after a strange eye injury, ironically enough caused in Rotterdam a few years back, he just hasn’t been the same. Hopefully, the win on Sunday is a return to the David Goffin we knew a few years back however.
Jan-Lennard Struff can be a hard customer to come by given his big serve and impressive net game but if David Goffin isn’t fatigued after last week he has the perfect game to keep balls in play and grind errors out of the German’s game, especially on a court where Struff will find it hard to hit through the 30 year old constantly enough unlike Cincinnati last year where Struff won their last encounter.
Prediction: Goffin in 3
Roberto Bautista-Agut vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-head: 0-0
Davidovich Fokina has really gone under the radar the past few years, at a career high of 51 in the world and only 21 years of age there’s still potentially a bright future in there. But because of the likes of Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime, Tsitsipas and others around the same age, it’s easy to see why. Things haven’t gone well for the younger of the two Spaniard this year however with two early challenger losses followed by a quarter-final exit last week to Gerasimov, a player he would be expected to beat.
Bautista-Agut on the other hand also had a poor start to the year with two losses at the ATP Cup followed by a shock Round 1 exit at the Australian Open. Things got a lot better last week though making the final of Montpellier losing to Goffin but it must be said in his three matches en route to the final he only beat one top 100 player.
Under normal circumstances and Bautista Agut playing at his usual level there’s no way I could see him being threatened here, but I’m going to go for the 21-year-old to push his compatriot a little more than most people expect but still come up short.
Prediction: Bautista-Agut in 3
Dusan Lajovic vs Daniil Medvedev
Head-to-head: 1-1
Despite the Serb winning their last match at the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters, it doesn’t really mean much, firstly because Medvedev is by quite a distance the worst top ten player on grass as well as the Russian being a completely different beast from 2019 summer onwards.
Ultimately, there’s nothing Lajovic can do to threaten someone like Medvedev. Whilst the 30 year old is rock solid all round, Medvedev is exactly the same but with a much better serve and aggression (when he chooses). Medvedev might not be at the same form he was at before the final loss to Djokovic in Melbourne, but he shouldn’t have to be to make light work of this first round encounter.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
