Day 3 of the ATP grass court event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (often referred to as Den Bosch) in the Netherlands features the opening matches of second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, coming off a great Roland Garros, as well as 2022 Indian Wells champion and third seed Taylor Fritz.
ATP Den Bosch Day 3 Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Tim Van Rijthoven
Head-to-head: 0-0
Despite winning Indian Wells just a few months ago it’s somewhat unfortunate just a few weeks after the tour turned to his worst surface, clay. As many expected, Fritz’s results on the dirt weren’t great highlighted by a quarter-final in Monte-Carlo and nothing else really. Thankfully for his case, he’s now returning to a surface where he won his first ATP title, back in 2009 in Eastbourne. It’s easy to see why the American is good on this surface with a big forehand and serve where he can easily dictate play. Van Rijthovic, a wildcard this week will struggle to contain the game of the 24 year old on a surface where against most he’ll be in control of the outcome.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Jenson Brooksby vs Hugo Gaston
Head-to-head: 0-0
Brooskby made big strides in 2021 and as a reward now finds himself ranked #34 in the world despite somewhat of a quiet 2022 with solid results on the hard courts earlier in the year. We haven’t seen much of the talented 21 year old on the grass so far in his young career but in his last event on the surface, Newport just after Wimbledon last year, he found himself losing a close encounter to former top five player Kevin Anderson. The issue with Brooksby is, his game doesn’t suit grass courts. His passive game style of breaking down players is asking for the bigger and better players out there to come on court and hit through him. Thankfully for his case in this matchup, Gaston’s weapons neither suit the surface. On a clay court, Gaston would have a chance, on the grass it doesn’t seem too likely.
Prediction: Brooksby in 2
Karen Khachanov vs Kamil Majchrzak
Head-to-head: Khachanov 2-0
It’s somewhat forgotten that just last week Khachanov was in the second round of Roland Garros, but no doubt some of that to do with him being blown again by teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16. Either way, it’s good to see the Russian playing well again after a hard few years. Despite the Russian having a good serve and being solid on both wings, his results on the green stuff haven’t correlated to potentially what they could be. With the head-to-head being 2-0 with the Pole never having won a set, it’s hard to see this being much different. Majchrzak is the definition of someone who doesn’t really have the weapons to beat the higher ranked player unless they beat themselves, which is why he finds himself stuck around the world’s top 80 mark.
Prediction: Khachanov in 2
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tallon Griekspoor
Head-to-head: 0-0
It’s been a very strange year for the #2 seed. From having match points to make the Australian Open semis to winning Rotterdam and making the final in Marseille, things very quickly fell apart for a few months. Then out of nowhere a quarterfinal in Rome turned into pushing Rafael Nadal to five sets on his worst surface in Paris last week and thus becoming only the third player to ever do that to the Spaniard there. If–and it’s a big if with Auger-Aliassime–the Canadian can keep such serving and volleying going on that he showed the past few weeks, he’s easily a top five player on this surface. The 21 year old should win this easily and even despite it being early on in the event, it’s his title to lose.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
