The big guns are set to take to the courts for the first time on day three of the ATP Madrid Open. As always, we here at LWOT have every match covered in our daily predictions including Carlos Alcaraz vs Emil Ruusuvuori and Stan Wawrinka vs Andrey Rublev. But who will advance at La Caja Magica?
ATP Madrid Day 3 Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Matteo Arnaldi
Head-to-head: first meeting
It took a while, but Casper Ruud is inching closer to finding his best tennis. A title win in Estoril was a start although he stumbled a couple of times in recent weeks halting his momentum. But he has played at a decent level throughout the European clay swing, serving efficiently and adding a semblance of stability to his game. Obviously, it’s no longer a given that Ruud will coast through these types of matches after his stop-start season, but he should still have enough in the tank to notch a comfortable victory over the qualifier Matteo Arnaldi.
Prediction: Ruud in 2
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Albert Ramos Vinolas
Head-to-head: Davidovich Fokina 2-2 Ramos Vinolas
Albert Ramos Vinolas snapped one of his longest losing streaks at seven straight defeats, beating Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka 4-6 7-6 6-2 in the opening round at the ATP Madrid Open. But that win only serves to paper over the cracks and doesn’t solve all his problems. He is still lamentably out of form and you suspect his fortunes won’t change over the course of one or two matches this week. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina should cruise into the third round.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 2
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Hubert Hurkacz vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 1-0 Gasquet
Playing at altitude tends to bring the best out of Hubert Hurkacz. Last year he knocked off a trio of three excellent clay-courters to make the quarterfinals where it took the formidable talents of Novak Djokovic to halt his charge. His ground strokes cut through the court faster and his serve is menacing. He is also a joy to watch at his free-flowing best. On paper, it appears that Hurkacz has a generous second-round draw here against the veteran Richard Gasquet. On his day, the Frenchman was a force to be reckoned with on all three surfaces, but defeat to Damir Dzumhur in Banja Luka hardly inspires confidence in his cances. Expect the Polish #1 to power into the third round.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 2
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Alexander Zverev vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Head-to-head: first meeting
Alexander Zverev has an outstanding record at the Madrid Open. He is the only double champion remaining in the draw (in the notable absence of Rafael Nadal and Djokovic) and has never lost before the quarterfinal in each of his previous five trips. Roberto Carballes Baena is a sterling competitor on clay, earning his reputation on the surface through hard graft and demonstrating his credentials by winning a second career title in Marrakech two weeks ago. But his lifetime record against top-20 opponents reads three wins from 23 matches. Expect Zverev to come through unscathed.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
