Day 3 of the ATP Mallorca Championships will see the start of the second round, plus one final first-round matchup. All of these men are working on their grass games before Wimbledon. Who will move on to continue their campaigns? We share our thoughts on all five matches. Who do you think will win?
ATP Mallorca Championships Day 3 Predictions
Tennys Sandgren vs Casper Ruud
Ruud looked fine in his opening match. He’s still one of the better players in the world right now, but his game is not a natural fit for grass. Sandgren, on the other hand, is a worse player overall but better on grass. The American looks confident and is playing well this week so far, so I think his run continues.
Prediction: Sandgren in 3
Ugo Humbert vs Miomir Kecmanovic
The final first-round match was held off until Tuesday to give Humbert an extra day of rest. The young Frenchman is coming off the biggest title of his career in Halle on Sunday. He is playing really well on the grass and is full of confidence. Kecmanovic has a big game and can be a decent enough grass player on his own, but he’s nowhere near consistent enough to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Humbert in 2
Daniil Medvedev vs Corentin Moutet
Neither of these players have much of a pedigree on grass. Then again, Medvedev didn’t have a pedigree on clay before reaching the French Open quarterfinals. It would be foolish to underestimate Medvedev on any surface anymore, but Moutet was just so impressive in dismissing Lloyd Harris in the first round.
Prediction: Moutet in 2
Karen Khachanov vs Feliciano Lopez
Khachanov squeaked through his first-round match. Meanwhile, Lopez looked as solid as ever on his beloved grass. The 39-year-old Spaniard still can serve well and control rallies on this surface, and it would be a huge miss to underestimate him.
Prediction: Lopez in 2
Dominic Thiem vs Adrian Mannarino
Thiem has had a pretty horrendous year so far. He hasn’t been the same since winning the US Open last year, which he’s been open about. Mannarino has always been solid on grass, and his game is a more natural fit than the Austrian’s. Expect the upset here.
Prediction: Mannarino in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
