Time for the seeds to come in on Day 3 at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome. Home crowd favorite Jannik Sinner faces Thanasi Kokkinakis in his opener, while the resurgent Cristian Garin will try to take down Tommy Paul. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Rome Day 3 Predictions
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Jannik Sinner
Head-to-head: Sinner 2-0
Jannik Sinner decided to skip Madrid, but apparently should be fully alright physically heading into Rome. That makes him a very dangerous contender, although it has to be said that the conditions aren’t really tailor-made for him at this event. Thanasi Kokkinakis is an underrated force on clay, although it seems like the higher the level, the more he starts actually needing a quicker court to achieve success. We’ll see how quickly Sinner finds his groove.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Alexandre Muller vs Cameron Norrie
Head-to-head: First meeting
Alexandre Muller was the surprise runner-up in Marrakech earlier this year, a run that earned him a top 100 debut. The Frenchman is probably not going to be that dangerous on the main tour though, especially as his skillset is a bit limited. Cameron Norrie might be a bit fragile right now, but it’s hard to see Muller having the weaponry required to hurt him.
Prediction: Norrie in 2
Francisco Cerundolo vs Yibing Wu
Head-to-head: First meeting
It’s been a while since Yibing Wu scored a nice win and getting one over Richard Gasquet in very slow clay conditions is a great result for him. The Chinese has been a bit of a disaster since winning in Dallas and if he is to show that ridiculous shotmaking talent again, it will probably be on a quicker court than this. Francisco Cerundolo has a nice opening in the draw here and should be taking it.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 2
Cristian Garin vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Garin 2-1
Cristian Garin won their only clay-court meeting at Roland Garros last year and will be the favorite again. The Chilean has been in fantastic form since the Sunshine Double and keeps grabbing two wins per every event played. Tommy Paul was the runner-up in Aix-en-Provence last week, but his level in the final against Andy Murray was quite poor. He can play on clay though and won’t be a pushover for Garin.
Prediction: Garin in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
