The ATP Montpellier 2022 edition promises to be an action packed affair with a stacked draw. Action continues to Day 3 with an exciting mix of matches. As ever, we at LWOT preview all five scheduled matches for you.
ATP Montpellier Day 3 Predictions
Round of 32
Gregoire Barrere vs Alexander Bublik
Head to head – Barrere 1-1 Bublik
Alexander Bublik looks vulnerable here. The Kazakh lost in the first round at the Australian Open and he now faces a stern test in his first round matchup. The Frenchman Gregoire Barrere will surely enjoy home support and on top of that he enters this tournament after winning a challenger event last week. Expect Barrere to ride the wave of confidence and nab his second win over Bublik.
Prediction: Barrere in 3
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Mikael Ymer
Head to head – Ruusuvuori 2-2 Ymer
This has been a rivalry of two parts so far. Emil Ruusuvuori won the first two encounters but Mikael Ymer has turned it around and won the last two, including a win this year in Adelaide. That being said, this is the first time they clash on an indoor court and that makes this matchup interesting. Ymer is a player with immense talent but Ruusuvuori has slighlty more penetration on his groundstrokes which are even more lethal on indoor hard courts. Expect the Finn to take this one albeit slightly.
Prediction: Ruusuvuori in 2
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Ugo Humbert
Head to head – Davidovich Fokina 1-0 Humbert
Ugo Humbert likes playing in fast indoor conditions as his volley game-style is accentuated on such surfaces. The lefty Frenchman will be a dark horse in this draw as he’s capable of going toe to toe with anyone in this tournament on his day. His first assignment is in the form of Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who hasn’t had a good start to 2023. The Spaniard does not look comfortable on quick surfaces as his natural game is to counter punch. Expect Humbert to rush Fokina and get the victory.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Round of 16
Marton Fucsovics vs Jannik Sinner
Head to head – Fucsovics 2-2 Sinner
Jannik Sinner is one of the top contenders for the title here. The Italian hard hitter’s game fits very well on fast courts as he generally plays with a very aggressive position on the baseline. He takes on Hungarian Marton Fucsovics who has been going viral recently because of his muscularity. Fucsovics has played well this year at the Australian Open until he was two sets to love up against Sinner. The Italian on that day ran away with the last three sets and it looks like Sinner will continue in the same vein when they meet again.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Arthur Fils
Head to head – First Meeting
The 18-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils has impressed this year in 2023. He has won a Challenger event and reached the final of the other event he took part in. He backed that up by beating veteran Richard Gasquet in two entertaining sets. His toughest task of this year and possibly his career is to now get the better of the evergreen Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard, at 34 years of age, looks tough as ever and he’ll be raring to make a strong start here.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
