The ATP clay court swing has begun with action continuing in Estoril, Portugal. Round of 16 action begins on Day 3 of the tournament with clay court specialists and others trying to start strong. As ever, we at LWOT preview and predict all four scheduled clashes for you.
ATP Estoril Day 3 Predictions
Marco Cecchinato vs Fabio Fognini
Head to head – Cecchinato 1-3 Fognini
Fabio Fognini has begun well on the surface he plays his best tennis on. The Italian is 35 years old but can still produce super exciting tennis when he’s on song. He takes on Marco Cecchinato who took out seventh seed Diego Schwartzman in straight sets. Expect Cecchinato to be competitive but Fognini looks determined to play his best this tournament and the head to head bodes well for him as well.
Prediction: Fognini in 3
Sebastian Baez vs Pedro Cachin
Head to head – First Meeting
Sebastian Baez is just 22 years old and already he has captivated tennis fans with his exciting brand of tennis, especially on the clay courts. While he would have liked to perform better in the recently concluded Masters events, the Argentine will be looking to build upon his strong first-round showing. He takes on fellow countryman Pedro Cachin, who has done well to reach the Round of 16 but there is currently a quality difference between the two.
Prediction: Baez in 2
Luca Van Assche vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head to head – First Meeting
Luca Van Assche is just 18 years old but the Frenchman looked solid especially in the third set in his first round match against Pedro Sousa who is more seasoned. He now takes on the third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who had a decent run in Indian Wells and is a very potent clay-court player. Expect the Spaniard to dominate this match and be the contenders to be one of the players to look out for in the coming months.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
Casper Ruud vs Joao Sousa
Head to head – Ruud 3-0 Sousa
Casper Ruud has had a forgetful start to 2023 by registering only five wins combined with six losses. The Norwegian however will take heart in the fact that his favourite part of the year is about to begin. He will have to get off the blocks quickly as it takes on Joao Sousa who can be a dangerous opponent on clay. Expect Sousa to stun Ruud initially but as the match progresses the Norwegian should find his footing and dominate from the baseline.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
