There should be plenty of entertaining action on day three at the ATP Paris Masters with 14 intriguing matches on the schedule in Paris. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin and Ilya Ivashka vs Daniil Medvedev. But who will advance?
ATP Paris Masters Day 3 Predictions
Dusan Lajovic vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: Zverev 3-0 Lajovic
Dusan Lajovic started his campaign at the Paris Masters with a pretty straightforward win over Mackenzie McDonald. Lajovic looked in control through the whole match, facing just one breakpoint, which he saved with ease. But his head-to-head record against Alexander Zverev doesn’t inspire much confidence. Nor does the fact that the German comes into the match, after an impressive run to the title at the Vienna Open. He is in red-hot form, and is looking particularly dangerous on the faster hard courts. Even if Lajovic plays at his best, it is unlikely that it will be enough to beat Zverev.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
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Lorenzo Musetti vs James Duckworth
Head-to-head: first meeting
The promising Italian youngster (not Jannik Sinner), is not exactly having a good time on tour. After his wonderful performance at the French Open, Lorenzo Musetti has faded away badly. He lost five matches on the trot over the summer and although he has managed to pick up a few wins since then, he was in a bad place after losing in the final round of qualifying. But he was handed a reprieve as a lucky loser and he didn’t let the opportunity slip away, coming back from a set down to defeat Laslo Djere in a gruelling match that lasted over two and a half hours. James Duckworth had reached new heights of excellence when he came close to winning the ATP Nur-Sultan, just after picking up a Challenger title. His form has dipped a little in recent matches, but Duckworth should still have enough to make the third round.
Prediction: Duckworth in 3
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Hugo Gaston vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-to-head: Carreno Busta 1-0 Gaston
Hugo Gaston outlasted his countryman Arthur Rinderknech in a three-setter, to make the second round in Paris. His matches here, including the qualifiers, have all lasted well over two hours. It will be a challenge for him to grind it out against the experienced Pablo Carreno Busta too. The Spaniard was made to work hard at times against Benoit Paire in the first round, but ran out a comfortable 6-3 6-4 winner in the end. Carreno Busta is the superior player of the two and although his below-par serve may continue to cost him against the best in the world, it shouldn’t hurt his chances too much against Gaston.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
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Cameron Norrie vs Reilly Opelka
Head-to-head: Norrie 1-1 Opelka
Cameron Norrie comes into this match after a terrific 6-2 6-1 win over Federico Delbonis in his first round match. Norrie broke Delbonis four times, and was the better player by a distance. He has made two finals in his last three tournaments, winning one. Norrie is irresistible when playing at his best, and will be hungry to get a good performance here at Paris as well.
Reilly Opelka, meanwhile, has seen performances dip after his fourth-round exit at the US Open. His straight-sets win over Filip Krajinovic should increase his confidence a little, but that may well not be enough against the in-form Norrie. However, his 19 aces in the match are a testament to the fact that the Opelka serve is a big enough weapon that he can never be written off. But although that might bag him a set, don’t expect it to be enough for him to win the match.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
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