The fourth ATP NextGen Finals kicked off in Milan Tuesday and a full slate of group stage action will continue Wednesday with the day and evening session both having two matches each.
If you need to brush up on the NextGen Finals format, we give a brief guide.
As always, we here at LWOT will be previewing and predicting every match, including Carlos Alcaraz vs Brandon Nakashima.
NextGen Finals Session 3 Predictions
Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Holger Rune
Head-to-head: first meeting
As expected, Cerundolo was beaten pretty comprehensively by Nakashima in his second-ever match on indoor hard, losing 1-4 4-3(3) 1-4 0-4. Outside of the second set, the Argentine struggled to get anything going, though he did offer some nice shots on the counterpunch with his lefty forehand.
Cerundolo has been enjoying a very strong season, achieving an ATP title and over 50 wins, but all of them have been on clay. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Argentine can improve on indoor hard as the week goes on.
Surprisingly enough, Rune actually won fewer games than Cerundolo in his opening match. The young Dane was fighting hard in the first set, saving five set points before eventually losing it 8-6 in the tiebreaker to Carlos Alcaraz. Rune then only won two more games after that.
As mentioned in the preview of his first match, Rune has been struggling with his fitness in the fall as he nears the 100-match mark this season.
It’s tough to predict this match as Rune should be a favorite with his pedigree on indoor hard, though Cerundolo has the potential to drag him into long rallies and make him work for the win. I believe the Dane will prevail, partly thanks to the faster format.
Prediction: Rune in 4
Carlos Alcaraz vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 1-0 Nakashima
Alcaraz confirmed his position as the top seed with a mostly dominant 4-3(6) 4-2 4-0 victory over Holger Rune. The Spaniard is enjoying a very strong year with the US Open quarterfinals run and title from Umag as highlights.
Brandon Nakashima also looked superior in his opening match as he defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo in four sets. The American now has ten wins in his last eleven matches.
This match-up between the top seed and the most in-form player should certainly be the highlight of today. The two faced each other in a clay court battle at a Challenger 125 in Oeiras earlier this year, with Alcaraz taking it 6-4 in the third.
This match is pretty much too close to call for me but I have a feeling that Nakashima might pull off the upset here.
Prediction: Nakashima in 5
Main Photo from Getty.
