The ATP Tour returns to Eastbourne, Great Britain, for the 12th consecutive year as 28 men look to fine-tune their grass game ahead of the third Slam of the season. The Rothesay International Open features a field with five Top 30 players, including two-time Champion Taylor Fritz. The American starts his title defense on Day 3 against compatriot Makenzie McDonald. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Eastbourne–including some in a separate article. But who will advance?
ATP Eastbourne Day 3 Predictions
Mikael Ymer vs Liam Broady
Head-to-Head: Ymer 1-0 Broady
Mikael Ymer will take on wildcard Liam Broady with a spot in the Eastbourne quarterfinals on the line. Both men picked up solid Round 1 victories, with Ymer besting Botic Van De Zandschulp and Broady overcoming Jan Choinski. Neither player has a strong history on the grass, and an ATP quarterfinal appearance would go a long way for their confidence. I expect a tightly contested battle but give a slight edge to the Brit. The backing of his home crowd will help Broady.
Prediction: Broady in 3
Nicolas Jarry vs Gregoire Barrere
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Nicolas Jarry is up to a career-high ranking of world No. 28 and is the No. 5 seed in Eastbourne. He holds a 10-2 record over his last 12 matches, including a grass-court victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas last week. His Round 2 opponent is Frenchman Gregoire Barrere. The 29-year-old came back from a set down to beat Emil Ruusuvuori in Round 1 and is playing with confidence on the grass. I expect a tight battle with a few tiebreaks, but I believe Jarry’s serving prowess will be the difference.
Prediction: Jarry in 3
[cta id=4013 type=cta]
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Aleksander Vukic
Head-to-Head: first meeting
No. 8 seed Miomir Kecmanovic came to Eastbourne amidst a brutal 1-7 stretch. He flipped a switch in his Round 1 straight-set victory over Yibing Wu and will look to keep it going in Round 2 against Alexsander Vukic. The Australian qualifier came to Eastbourne having lost four consecutive matches, but has already won three matches this week. Vukic has minimal experience on the grass and will struggle against Kecmanovic’s consistency from the baseline. I’ll take the Serb in straight sets.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Mackenzie McDonal
Head-to-Head: Fritz 4-1 McDonald
Americans Taylor Fritz and Makenzie McDonald will square off with a spot in the Eastbourne quarterfinals on the line. Fritz has dominated the head-to-head against his countrymen, including a 6-3 7-6 victory earlier this year in Delray Beach. Fritz won his first ATP title in Eastbourne back in 2019 and also claimed victory at the event last season. He is a much better grass-court player than McDonald and should power his way to a straight-set win.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
