The second day of the ATP event on the clay courts of Umag was cut short by the weather, but Day 3 promises much with an exciting schedule. 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem is one of the players in action in the second round. Which players do you think will win?
ATP Umag Day 3 Predictions
Sebastian Ofner vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: First meeting
Popyrin was impressive against Benjamin Bonzi and gained a morale boosting win. The Australian has a powerful game and can be dangerous for most players when he is near his best. However third seed Ofner has been in very good form recently. He backed up his title win at his home Challenger event in Salzburg with a run to the quarterifnals in Bastad, only being stopped by two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud. Ofner is solid off both wings but especially his two-handed backhand. I expect the Austrian to get enough balls in play and to successfully dominate Popyrin in backhand to backhand exchanges to claim another victory.
Prediction: Ofner in 2
Dino Prizmic vs Zsombor Piros
Head-to-head: First meeting
It is a clash between the #287 ranked Prizmic and #124 ranked Piros. Both players will have taken confidence from their opening round wins. Prizmic recorded his first ever ATP win against #299 in the world Duje Ajdukovic and lost just three games along the way, while Piros defeated the fifth seed Christopher O’Connell in straight sets. Prizmic is still a raw talent at 18-years-old and the more seasoned and higher ranked Piros will be a much stiffer challenge then his first round match. The Croatian will be backed by vociferous at his home tournament but I do not think that will be enough to overcome a player who has won two Challenger events on clay this season.
Prediction: Piros in 2
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Matteo Arnaldi vs Flavio Cobolli
Head-to-head: First meeting
22-year-old Arnaldi has had an excellent year. He has won three Challenger events, reached the Top 100 and showed his pedigree last week in Bastad where he defeated Emil Ruusuvuori and only lost to Lorenzo Musetti in a final set tiebreak. He continued that momentum in a comfortable opening round win against Jesper De Jong. His compatriot Cobolli had the most famous win of his career against Marin Cilic in the opening round. However, this was Cilic’s first match after a lengthy time on the sidelines and he was nowhere close to his best. This is not seeking to downplay Cobolli’s moment, but I still think Arnaldi is the one playing the better tennis at the moment by a comfortable margin. I expect the #76 in the world to come through.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 2
Jiri Lehecka vs Dominic Thiem
Head-to-head: First meeting
Thiem’s performances give hope that he may be turning a corner after a string of defeats on the Challenger circuit before Wimbledon. He came so close to beating Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon, and was unfortunate to face an inspired Hamad Medjedovic in the second round of Gstaad, a player ended up reaching the final. Thiem looked mostly good against Facundo Bagnis in the first round but the first seed Lehecka is a steep rise in class. The young Czech player is having the best year of his career after reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals and Wimbledon fourth round, although somewhat surprisingly he is yet to reach an ATP final. There will be big hitting from both men but I think Lehecka is just a bit more solid in big moments currently. I feel a deep run is coming for Thiem but it may have to wait for now.
Prediction: Lehecka in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
