There should be no shortage of entertainment on day three in the French capital with 14 exciting second-round matches on the schedule at the ATP Paris Masters. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin, Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov and Dusan Lajovic vs Alexander Zverev. But who will secure their spot in the third round?
ATP Paris Masters Day 3 Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-head: Rublev 2-1 Fritz
With his place at the ATP Finals in Turin secured, Andrey Rublev will no doubt be looking to build some momentum ahead of his second appearance at the season-ending championships. But the Russian has been handed a tough opening test at the ATP Paris Masters up against the in-form Taylor Fritz. The American reached the semifinals in Indian Wells and he backed that up by reaching the final in St Petersburg. Rublev, by way of comparison, lost in the third round in California and the last eight in St Petersburg.
Nor Fritz’s good form show any signs of abating in the first round in Bercy as he battled past Lorenzo Sonego from a set down. Rublev remains the more complete player of the two, but there isn’t a great deal between them, with both men equipped with solid, powerful groundstrokes and effective if not particularly remarkable serves. With Fritz coming into this match in markedly better form, don’t be surprised if the American picks up another big win.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
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Adrian Mannarino vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Monfils 3-2 Mannarino
Gael Monfils was not at his very best against Miomir Kecmanovic in his opener at the ATP Paris Masters, but he did show flashes of the tennis that has made him such a fan favourite over the course of his career, not least a 118 mph forehand winner. Adrian Mannarino has never been able to command anything like the crowd support that Monfils has been able to rely on, but he has almost certainly done a better job of maximising his talent than his countryman.
Mannarino has built a career on making himself difficult to play against and he was at his disruptive best against Nikoloz Basilashvili, ending the Georgian’s slim hopes of making it to Turin with a comprehensive 6-2 6-4 win. He has given Monfils trouble in the past too, winning two of their three previous encounters. That said, both of those wins came on grass – historically Monfils’ worst surface by a distance. On a court that suits him rather better, he should have just about too much for his countryman. But expect this to be close.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
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Ilya Ivashka vs Daniil Medvedev
Head-to-head: Ivashka 3-1 Medvedev
On the face of it, this looks like it should be a straightforward start to the week for Daniil Medvedev. After all, he is ranked 44 places above Ilya Ivashka and, despite being two years the Belarusian’s junior, he has collected 209 tour-level wins to Ivashka’s 58. But Ivashka has troubled the world #2 in the past, taking a set off him in their first three meetings, which came at Futures and Challenger level, before beating him in straight sets in the Davis Cup in 2018.
The Belarusian has also had a career-best season, scoring 31 tour-level wins, the latest of which came at the expense of the Spanish veteran Albert Ramos Vinolas. Still, as well as Ivashka has played this season, beating Ramos Vinolas is one thing and beating Medvedev quite another. The US Open champion may not have the most aesthetically pleasing game, but he covers the court superbly and can step in and dictate when he needs to. He should have too much for Ivashka.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
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