The ATP’s Golden Swing continues and this time we’ve landed in Santiago, Chile. There are plenty of the Swing’s biggest stars in contention on day three including Lorenzo Musetti, Diego Schwartzman and home hero Nicolas Jarry. As always at LWOT, we’ve tried to predict the outcomes of these matches.
ATP Santiago Day 3 Predictions
Yannick Hanfmann vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Head-to-head: Hanfmann 1-0 Carballes Baena
This is a tough one to call. Yannick Hanfmann has been running through anyone this Golden Swing that isn’t considered the best of the rest on this surface (one-sided wins against Hugo Gaston, Pedro Martinez, and Carlos Taberner have been particularly encouraging). Yet he is losing–those losses to Facundo Bagnis and Francisco Cerundolo were honorable and he was still able to make those competitive.
Roberto Carballes Baena is right up there with those players as someone who would be considered extremely dangerous at a clay-court Challenger tournament. Here at ATP level? Like Bagnis and Cerundolo before him, he wins this kind of match against a form player about 50% of the time. We’ll give the slightest edge to the Spaniard given the recent improvements he’s made to his serve.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
Thiago Monteiro vs Marco Cecchinato
Head-to-head: Monteiro 1-0 Cecchinato (all levels)
Thiago Monteiro has seriously impressed recently. He came through a very close match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas and went down swinging against Cam Norrie after defeating Dominic Thiem in the previous round. This is a huge period of the year for Monteiro and he will be willing to grind every point out for as many hours as it takes.
Whether or not Marco Cecchinato will be able to keep up isn’t clear. The Italian hasn’t had the greatest Golden Swing so far and came through a very drawn-out affair with Facundo Bagnis. We trust that Monteiro will be fit enough to win this one given his recent form.
Prediction: Monteiro in 3
Lorenzo Musetti vs Jaume Munar
Head-to-head: Munar 2-0 Musetti (all levels)
Two tournaments played during the Swing for Lorenzo Musetti and just one match won. Juan Pablo Varillas and Nicolas Jarry are tough qualifiers to face but they completely outplayed the Italian. It does not bode well up against the human wall, Jaume Munar.
Fortunately for Musetti however, if he is to gain some momentum, Munar hasn’t been as wall-like as usual. He’s just come through a tough match against Alejandro Tabilo plus the Spaniard’s form has been questionable of late. Musetti has a chance to pick himself up after a disappointing couple of tournaments–he has the firepower to hit through Munar, he just has to trust himself.
Prediction: Musetti in 3
Diego Schwartzman vs Nicolas Jarry
Head-to-head: Schwartzman 4-0 Jarry
Diego Schwartzman’s dry run continues. Countryman Sebastian Baez experienced the same problem but when he was reacquainted with clay, his results turned for the better. Schwartzman hasn’t been close to the same results–his injury seems to continue to impede him to the point that his first-serve has become incredibly attackable on this surface.
Meanwhile, home hero Nicolas Jarry has been making mincemeat of everyone with the same shot. Carlos Alcaraz even struggled to get a racket on his first-serve last week in Rio. This is not the match where Schwartzman finds his feet.
Prediction: Jarry in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
