Big names will take the court at the ATP 250 in Mallorca on Wednesday, featuring Ben Shelton, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Feliciano Lopez. After a couple days of action, the grass courts already seem to be wearing out; the courts are fast and low bouncing. While the big story of the tournament is Lopez’s impending retirement, great names certainly are helping build up the excitement of the tournament.
Day 4 ATP Mallorca Predictions
Arthur Rinderknech vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-head: 3-1 Rinderknech
An all-French affair begins Wednesday’s action, with both players knowing one another’s game style well. Rinderknech nearly took out Alcaraz last week in London, and has a big serve to kick off points. Rinderknech also got a nice win over the home favorite Vinolas, certainly giving him confidence in this one. Meanwhile, Lestienne utilizes a crafty game, hitting great angled shots, something that will work well on the Mallorca grass courts. Yet, it might be tough for Lestienne to win lots of points against such an offensive game style.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 2
Christopher Eubanks vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head: 2-0 Shelton
While the two have never met on Tour level, Shelton and Eubanks played two ATP Challenger Tour finals last fall. Those matches acted as a big transition point in Shelton’s career, as he eventually skyrocketed to tennis fame in Melbourne soon after. Both players are great friends and know one another’s game well, so it’ll be interesting to see if Eubanks can expose Shelton’s weakness. Shelton should win this one if he can serve well. These courts allow for great use of serve & volley tactics, so expect a lot of that.
Prediction: Shelton in 2
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Feliciano Lopez vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-head: 3-0 Thompson
This could be where fans see the last of Lopez’s illustrious career. His win over Purcell was exciting, yet Purcell’s not a player well acclimated to the ATP Tour yet. Meanwhile, Thompson has the experience to play at ATP grass court level, and his three wins over the Spaniard indicate he knows how to win in this matchup. With extra motivation and a home crowd, expect Lopez to push this to an exciting third set.
Prediction: Thompson in 3
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tsitsipas has been a disaster so far on grass. His backhand, once a weapon, is now a major weakness. Even worse, his shaky mentality has definitely hurt his ability to close out sets and matches. Hanfmann has a big serve and dominated Cachin in round one, shockingly losing only three games. With that, this match definitely appears to be an upset alert; as the defending champion, Tsitsipas will have to be very focused, something he’s lacked these last two weeks.
Prediction: Hanfmann in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
