The ATP Tour heads south for Cincinnati, Ohio’s Western & Southern Open. This Masters 1000 event welcomes a 56-man draw and some of the best players in the world to its grounds, including every player ranked inside the top 20. Day 3 in Cincinnati features a loaded slate of matches, with a Grandstand matinee battle between Andrey Rublev and Emil Ruusuvuori. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Cincinnati. But who will advance?
ATP Cincinnati Day 3 Predictions
Tommy Paul vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-Head: Paul 0-2 Kecmanovic
No. 14 seed Tommy Paul enters this Round 1 match looking to pick up his first victory over Miomir Kecmanovic. Paul comes into this match with confidence. The 26-year-old American made a run to the National Bank Open semifinals last week, taking down World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Paul’s incredible movement, paired with his newfound baseline power, will test Kecmanovic. The 23-year-old Serb is very talented but struggles with consistency. He is 2-5 in his last seven hardcourt matches. I see Paul avenging his two previous losses to Kecmanovic and advancing into Round 2.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Daniel Altmaier vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Lucky Losers Daniel Altmaier and Alexei Popyrin will square off with a golden opportunity to reach the second round at the Western & Southern Open. Popyrin comes to Cincinnati off his second career title in Umag. The 24-year-old Aussie has been streaky this year but has put together one of the best seasons of his young career. Altmaier is also amidst the best season of his career. The 24-year-old German achieved a career-high ranking of No. 51 last month and has two top-ten wins in 2023. This should be a very back-and-forth encounter, but I favor the power and ball-striking of the Aussie.
Prediction: Popyrin in 3
Mackenzie McDonald vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-Head: McDonald 2-0 Hanfmann
Mackenzie McDonald and Yannick Hanfmann square off in a battle of two former NCAA All-Americans. McDonald has come into his own this season. The 28-year-old American is up to a career-high ranking of No. 43 after reaching the quarterfinals of the Canada Masters last week. McDonald is incredibly consistent from the baseline and has added an element of power that allows him to keep his opponent off-balance. Hanfmann has struggled of late, winning just two of his last seven matches. The German had a nice run on the clay earlier this year but does not bring the same juice to hardcourts. McDonald should take this one in straight-sets.
Prediction: McDonald in 2
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Andrey Rublev vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Head-to-Head: Rublev 2-0 Ruusuvuori
No. 7 seed Andrey Rublev comes to Cincinnati looking to bounce back from an early exit at the Canada Masters. Rublev held a 13-2 record during a one-month stretch from mid-June to mid-July. Since then, he has been on a two-match losing streak and needs some tune-up matches before the US Open. Emil Ruusuvuori cruised by Corentin Moutet in Round 1 but is 3-7 in his last ten matches. Rublev will dominate this match from the baseline, using his power to push the Fin from corner to corner.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin – Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
