It’s time for Day 3 of the 2023 ATP Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France. Richard Gasquet takes on Stan Wawrinka in the match of the day, but there are some question marks about the Frenchman’s fitness after a very rough battle with Laurent Lokoli on Tuesday. Will the Swiss be able to take him down as he did in Rotterdam last week? Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Marseille Day 3 Predictions
Maxime Cressy vs Benjamin Bonzi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Maxime Cressy got himself into trouble against Geoffrey Blancaneaux on Tuesday, double-faulting four times in a row when up a set and a break. It ended in a deciding tie-break and a better opponent like Benjamin Bonzi might not allow him that sort of a blip. It’s still a match with a serve-and-volleyer though, so it will undoubtedly feature very few breaks and end up being about a couple of points here or there.
Prediction: Bonzi in 3
Alexander Bublik vs Gregoire Barrere
Head-to-head: 2-2
They’ve just faced each other in an absolute thriller in Montpellier with both players wasting many chances before Gregoire Barrere eventually clinched the win. Alexander Bublik got his first victory of 2023 in the opening round here, but can he keep going? It’s surely going to be close again, but with Barrere playing the best tennis of his life right now, the confidence might just get him over the line again.
Prediction: Barrere in 3
Arthur Fils vs Roman Safiullin
Head-to-head: Fils 1-0
Has Arthur Fils done enough progress to pull through matches like this with ease? That kind of remains to be seen as while he’s so much more composed this year, the expectations might get to him. One of his only two losses this season came against Gregoire Barrere, who took the ball early and overwhelmed him with his flat-hitting. Roman Safiullin will attempt to do the same and definitely isn’t without a shot here.
Prediction: Fils in 3
Mikael Ymer vs Radu Albot
Head-to-head: First meeting
Radu Albot is coming off a very surprising semifinal appearance in Delray Beach. Tough to say if jet lag will be an issue, but for what it’s worth it’s going to be about 3,5 days between his loss to Miomir Kecmanovic and his match with Mikael Ymer. Will the Moldovan’s resurgence be just temporary? It certainly seems like that. It should be hard for him to hit his way through the Swede.
Prediction: Ymer in 2
Richard Gasquet vs Stan Wawrinka
Head-to-head: Gasquet 3-2
What’s really surprising, Richard Gasquet and Stan Wawrinka met just three times before last year, even though they have both been among the elite for basically two decades now. This one looks quite straightforward. Wawrinka has been putting in very consistent performances in recent weeks and that includes a 6-3 6-3 win over Gasquet in Rotterdam. With the Frenchman unlikely to be 100% ready after a long battle with Laurent Lokoli in the first round, the three-time Grand Slam champion should triumph again.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 2
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
