The ATP Tour transitions to its North American hardcourt summer swing with a 250 event in Atlanta. The Atlanta Open features a ton of top competitors, including Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, and Chris Eubanks, among others. Americans have dominated this event, winning nine of the last 12 editions. Four Round 2 matches will take place on Day 3 in Atlanta, including an American clash between Chris Eubanks and Brandon Nakashima. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of the Atlanta Open. But who will advance?
ATP Atlanta Day 3 Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Lloyd Harris
Head-to-Head: Humbert 1-1 Harris
Ugo Humbert and Lloyd Harris come into this match having both overcome set deficits to win their Round 1 matches. Humbert is playing confident tennis after reaching his first semifinal of the year last week in Newport. As a qualifier, Harris has already won three matches in Atlanta. The former World No. 31 is 8-2 in his last ten matches and has seemingly turned a corner after recovering from injury. This has all the makings of a long three-set battle, but I give the slight advantage to Harris and his ability to win free points off his serve.
Prediction: Harris in 3
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Aleksandar Vukic
Head-to-Head: Nishioka 1-0 Vukic
No. 4 seed Yoshihito Nishioka squares off against Aleksandar Vukic with a spot in the Atlanta Open quarterfinals on the line. The 27-year-old Japanese has had an up-and-down season, holding just a 5-10 record over his last 15 matches. That said, this match should allow him to get back on track. Vukic is a solid baseline player but does not have any tools that will overwhelm Nishioka.
Prediction: Nishioka in 2
Alex de Minaur vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Aussies Alex de Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis will square off for the first time with a spot in the Atlanta Open quarterfinals on the line. Kokkinakis picked up a solid win in Round 1 over Gael Monfils, coming from a set down to defeat the Frenchman. He is amidst one of the best seasons of his career. De Minaur will look to counteract the power of his compatriot in this match. The No. 2 seed will look to extend rallies and force Kokkinakis to play as many shots as possible. Ultimately, I see de Minaur’s variety and consistency being the difference in this match.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Christopher Eubanks vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-Head: Eubanks 1-2 Nakashima
Christopher Eubanks appears in his first tournament after his run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals as the No. 5 seed in Atlanta. He squares off against Brandon Nakashima in Round 2, a fellow American he has had three battles against. Nakashima has been in a cold spell, posting a 1-4 record on the grass. Both men have clean groundstrokes that should create a lot of high-level baseline exchanges. If Nakashima wants to win this match, he must return well. I do think he has the chops to fend off the power of Eubanks and force him into many errors.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
