Day three at the ATP Antwerp Open will feature plenty of exciting action with six matches on the schedule in Belgium. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper. But who will advance?
ATP Antwerp Day 3 Predictions
Dan Evans vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-head: Evans 2-0 Lestienne
The pair faced off less than a month ago in the San Diego quarterfinals and Dan Evans won in comprehensive fashion, dropping only four games in the process. Here in Antwerp, the Briton is once again a clear favourite to advance, despite Constant Lestienne’s encouraging run of form which saw him follow up that San Diego quarterfinal run with a semifinal in Tel Aviv the following week. He did look to have cooled off somewhat in Gijon however, where his countryman Arthur Rinderknech dismissed him in the second round. Expect Evans, who looked sharp in the first round, to win similarly comfortably.
Prediction: Evans in 2
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Marcos Giron vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-head: Giron 1-1 Korda
Both players have reached a final in the last month, Marcos Giron in San Diego (the first of his career) and Sebastian Korda last week in Gijon, but both were beaten handily there by Brandon Nakashima and Andrey Rublev. In theory at least, Korda is the more talented player and the 22-year-old seems primed for a big breakthrough at some point, but it hasn’t come yet despite some positive results. Still, provided fatigue doesn’t prove an issue after his run to the final last week, he should be able to dominate the baseline battle against an opponent who’s established himself a solid ATP player, but doesn’t have the same sort of upside.
Prediction: Korda in 2
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Michael Geerts vs Dominic Thiem
Head-to-head: first meeting
Dominic Thiem had his best week since returning to action after a serious wrist injury last week in Gijon. The Austrian played some excellent tennis in beating Joao Sousa, Marcos Giron and Francisco Cerundolo to reach the semifinals, where it took eventual champion and then-world #9 Rublev to stop him. he will surely have gained real confidence from his efforts in Spain and doubtless will be looking to go even further this week. Whether or not he can remains to be seen, but he could hardly have asked for a kinder first round draw here.
Prediction: Thiem in 2
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