There should be plenty of exciting tennis for the fans in Bercy on day three at the ATP Paris Masters with 14 intriguing second-round matches on the schedule. As ever, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for every match, including Ilya Ivashka vs Daniil Medvedev, Dusan Lajovic vs Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov. But who will advance?
ATP Paris Masters Day 3 Predictions
Tommy Paul vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-head: first meeting
It has been a solid week so far for Tommy Paul. The American kicked off his campaign at the ATP Paris Masters in the qualifying, where he got the better of Stefano Travaglia and Alexei Popyrin, though he was taken the distance by both men. He backed that up by dismissing the out-of-form Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round of the main draw for the loss of only seven games. But on paper this looks like a very tough test for the 24-year-old.
Hubert Hurkacz may have lost in the first round to Andy Murray last time out in Vienna, but indoor hard courts suit his style of play and he should have plenty of motivation to play his best tennis this week with a place in Turin on the line. Paul has enough power, particularly on the forehand side, to make a contest of this, but Hurkacz has a better backhand than the American and considerably more variety. That should give him enough of an advantage to secure a place in the round of 16.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: first meeting
Alexei Popyrin has still not quite established himself as a tour-level regular, but he certainly has the talent to do it. He saw his qualifying campaign this week end in disappointment as he was beaten by Paul in the final round, but he was handed a reprieve as a lucky loser and he took full advantage by hammering his compatriot Alex de Minaur in the first round, 6-3 6-0. One suspects that he will find third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas a rather less obliging opponent.
The Greek hasn’t exactly been in scintillating form of late, but he has been playing solid tennis, reaching the quarterfinals in Indian Wells and the second round in Vienna where he lost to an inspired Frances Tiafoe. He will need to be wary of Popyrin’s power, with the Australian able to generate real pace off both wings, but Tsitsipas has the power to match and greater versatility. His backhand slice should be particularly effective in disrupting Popyrin’s rhythm.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
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Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz
Head-to-head: first meeting
This may be this pair’s first meeting in the professional ranks, but it seems safe to assume that it will not be their last. It seems safe to say that Jannik Sinner comes into this match in better shape, however. The Italian arrived in Paris fresh from winning the title in Antwerp and reaching the last four in Vienna, with his efforts enough to earn him a single-digit ranking for the first time in his career. Carlos Alcaraz may be rather less fresh.
The Spaniard had to dig exceptionally deep to find away past Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round, eventually outlasting the Frenchman 6-7 7-6 7-5 in a three-set thriller. It was a very impressive win for the young gun, but it does raise the question of how much he will have left in the tank, particularly this late in the season. Against a less dangerous opponent, Alcaraz might well be able to go again, but it is hard to see him being able to stifle Sinner’s power unless he is firing on all cylinders. And even then it would not be an easy task.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
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