There should be plenty of entertaining tennis on day three at the ATP Bastad Open in Sweden, with eight men set to battle for a place in the quarterfinals. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for all four second-round matches on the slate in Bastad. But who will book their place in the last eight?
ATP Bastad Open Day 3 Predictions
Marco Cecchinato vs Federico Coria
Head-to-head: Cecchinato 1-1 Coria
Marco Cecchinato and Federico Coria played just one match on the grass this season, with both men crashing out in the first round at Wimbledon. But one imagines they will be glad to be back on the clay. Cecchinato opened his campaign at the ATP Bastad Open with a battling 6-2 5-7 6-3 win over the fifth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet whilst Coria, who has been in fine form of late, brushed aside the challenge of his compatriot Francisco Cerundolo to win 6-4 6-4.
This looks to have the makings of a close contest. It will be their third meeting overall and their second on clay. Coria won the first, in 2019 at the Genova Challenger, but that match was sufficiently close that any advantage he can draw from that victory will be slight. Still, it is unquestionably the Argentine who has been playing the more impressive tennis of late. Cecchinato may have the higher ceiling, but expect the more solid and reliable Coria to have the edge.
Prediction: Coria in 3
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Pedro Martinez vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-head: Garin 1-0 Martinez
When this pair met just over two weeks ago in the third round, it was Cristian Garin who came out on top, but he was made to work hard for his four-set victory by Pedro Martinez. But although a player would usually be able to take confidence from challenging a top-20 opponent when playing on their worst surface, things do not look quite so bright for Martinez heading into this match, with Garin also much more at home on the grass than he is the clay.
That being said, Martinez did get off to an impressive start in the first round, beating Dennis Novak 7-5 6-1. Garin, in contrast, has not played competitively since losing in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the last 16 at Wimbledon. With the transition between grass and clay rarely straightforward, Martinez might just have an advantage having already played a match. But it seems unlikely to make enough difference for him to get the better of the Chilean here.
Prediction: Garin in 3
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Arthur Rinderknech vs John Millman
Head-to-head: first meeting
It will surely only be a matter of time before Arthur Rinderknech breaks into the top 100. The Frenchman, currently ranked 105th in the world, has had a fine season, winning a Challenger title in Istanbul and reaching the quarterfinals at ATP-level events in Marseille and Lyon. He has looked sharp once again so far at the ATP Bastad Open, coming through the qualifying before thrashing Pedro Sousa in the first round for the loss of only one game.
One suspects that John Millman will offer rather more resistance. The Australian is a wily and experienced campaigner. Clay is not his best surface, but he can certainly play on the terre battue and will no doubt be targeting a deep run in Bastad. Rinderknech has the advantage of having played three matches already in Bastad and that cannot be ignored. But Millman’s grinding baseline style should eventually wear down the Frenchman.
Prediction: Millman in 3
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Jiri Vesely vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: Vesely 2-1 Hanfmann
When this pair met on the grass at Wimbledon in the first round, Jiri Vesely’s greater comfort on the surface was evident, particularly in the crucial moments, as he recorded a 6-1 7-5 7-6 win. Unfortunately for the Czech, who has enjoyed some memorable days in the past at the All England Club, a back injury brought his campaign to a premature end in the second round as injury forced him to retire trailing 3-6 4-5. But he bounced back in impressive style in his opener in Bastad, beating Salvatore Caruso 6-2 6-3.
Yannick Hanfmann, meanwhile, opened his campaign in Bastad with a 6-2 7-5 win over Thiago Monteiro of Brazil. He played well enough in that match to suggest that he can give Vesely real trouble here. He will also surely take confidence from having beaten the Czech in straight sets in similar conditions earlier this season in Monte Carlo. But it is Vesely who has looked the more impressive of the two over the past few weeks. He should just about have the edge.
Prediction: Vesely in 3
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