Day 3 at the Monte-Carlo Masters event provided a huge shock in Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beating world #1 Novak Djokovic in three sets. Now the attention turns to Miami champion and 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz as well as last week’s winner in Marrakech David Goffin taking centre stage. As always, we’re here at LWOT to predict all the matches.
ATP Monte-Carlo Day 4 Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Marin Cilic
Head-to-head: 1-1
Taylor Fritz might have just won the biggest title of his career a few weeks ago at Indian Wells, but on the clay he’s unfortunately nowhere near the player he’s shown to be on hardcourts. Barely beating a wildcard ranked outside the world’s top 400 in the first round it perhaps shows us enough about where his game is on the dirt. Admittedly, this is the Croat’s worst surface too but has shown at times he can get somewhat decent results which he will do here.
Prediction: Cilic in 2
David Goffin vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: Evans 3-0
Whilst the Brit completely dominates their head-to-head, the key match is their encounter in Monte-Carlo last year where Evans won 6-4 in the third. Coming into the event Evans had just lost three back-to-back matches whilst Goffin has come off his first title in over a year just last week. Unlike last year that makes this matchup very different. The Belgian is full of confidence and should get his first win over Evans here.
Prediction: Goffin in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head: de Minaur 2-0
The Australian may lead the head-to-head 2-0 but in all fairness, it’s very misleading with both wins coming well before the Russian found his stride on tour. Last year’s finalist has struggled in the past eight or so months but still finds himself in the world’s top eight thanks to steadying the ship in February with good title runs in Marseille and Dubai. de Minaur has no real weapons so his hope is grinding Rublev down enough to beat himself, but it’s a very tough ask and one which is a step too far for someone of his caliber. The only way the underdog will be able to get the win here is if Rublev makes a ton of unforced errors in his first match on the dirt for quite some time.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Sebastian Korda vs Carlos Alcaraz
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 1-0
No doubt one of the matches of the round and it’s a big question of what Alcaraz will show up. Will it be the one who won Miami? Or will it be an 18-year-old who needs time to cool off after such an incredible Masters run? We know the Spaniard can play on clay (it seems they all can) whilst with Korda it’s more questionable. The American has won three matches back-to-back just once since Wimbledon, and a win here would achieve that feat. It’s honestly hard to see how the 21-year-old can hurt the 18-year-old. Alcaraz is inn stellar form, which is why this might end up being quite uncompetitive unless the occasion gets to the teen.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
