Top seed Borna Coric makes hit debut at the ATP Winston-Salem Open on Day 3, the final stop before the exciting US Open begins. Tuesday’s action features twelve second-round matches, with many mainstay Top 30 players taking on younger challengers. Notably, top seed Borna Coric makes his debut in the Southeast, as he looks to recover from a disappointing title defense in Cincinnati.
ATP Winston-Salem Day 3 Predictions
Yannick Hanfmann vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo
Head-to-head: 1-0 Hanfmann
This is an intriguing battle featuring two clay-court specialists. In fact, both Hanfmann and Cerundolo combine for a rather unspectacular seven wins across hard courts at ATP main draw level. Despite Hanfmann’s powerful serve that would seem to work well on a faster surface, he is shockingly 3-13 on the surface. Yet, the German has achieved some nice wins in 2023, with Top 10 wins over Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all victims to Hanfmann. On the other hand, Cerundolo is certainly consistent and fun to watch, but he lacks the firepower needed to get big wins compared to Hanfmann. Hanfmann will use his serve to get some free points, while Cerundolo is a solid mover with his lefty game. It’s hard to call a favorite with both men’s inconsistency on the hard courts, but I feel Hanfmann will be able to hold his nerves when it matters due to his service abilities.
Prediction: Hanfmann in 3
Tallon Griekspoor vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: First meeting
If this match were to take place at the beginning of 2023, Jack Draper may be the favorite. The Brit was certainly a name to watch at the beginning of the season, reaching a career high ranking of No. 38 before injury sidelined him. His return to play at the Winnipeg Challenger was a step in the right direction, where he lost in the quarterfinals. Griekspoor played fantastic tennis in the Citi Open to make the final, yet he now finds himself on a three-match losing streak. While his losses in Toronto and Cincinnati were to high-quality players (Zverev & Tiafoe), he potentially may have lost some of that confidence from his Citi Open run. Draper also has the advantage of playing a first-round match in Winston-Salem, taking out Nuno Borges 6-3 6-1. In the end, Draper may be a bit too rusty to contend for the upset, but it could be a very close two-set match.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 2
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Jiri Lehecka vs Mitchell Krueger
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mitchell Kreuger should feel comfortable in this environment; he’s won three consecutive matches in Winston-Salem including qualifying, and gets an opportunity to play in front of a home crowd. In the past four years, the 29-year-old claimed three ATP Challenger titles in the United States. However, playing Lehecka is a big step up for Kreuger. While Krueger’s game seems to be back on track, he’s dipped in form ever since his career-high ranking of No. 135 last summer. Lehecka didn’t look great in a strange loss to Taylor Fritz last week, but I expect him to rebound well and force a plethora of errors from the home crowd favorite.
Prediction: Lehecka in 2
Dominik Koepfer vs Strong Kircheimer
Head-to-head: First meeting
Strong Kircheimer will certainly come into this match fired up with this opportunity at stake, a first ATP main-draw level win. The American was able to move through into the draw as a lucky loser after eleventh-seed Daniel Altmaier withdrew due to injury. Kircheimer did get a big win over qualifying top seed Adam Walton last Saturday, yet collapsed in a third-set tiebreak in a loss to Darian King. Meanwhile, Dominik Koepfer has had a positive 2023, excelling at the Challenger level with a 23-8 record and two titles, while going 6-4 at ATP main-draw level. Three of those wins came in his last tournament in Los Cabos, his second ATP semifinal of his career. With momentum on his side, look for Koepfer to win this one straightforwardly. Kircheimer may force some nerves from Koepfer given the German is the heavy favorite, but it’s unlikely that the American can sustain a high level for long periods of the match.
Prediction: Koepfer in 2
Borna Coric vs Rinky Hijikata
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rinky Hijikata played college tennis at the University of North Carolina and will be close to home territory in this match; he will definitely take pride being the crowd favorite. An alternate in the main draw, the World No. 111 got a solid win over Ilya Marchenko in the first round. It’s been around a year since fans got to know Hijikata after his valiant effort against Rafael Nadal at the US Open. He backed that up very well, winning his first Grand Slam in doubles at the 2023 Australian Open. Meanwhile, Borna Coric plunged down the rankings a bit after a poor Cincinnati title defense, and he hasn’t been great in the past few months. However, this is a great opportunity to get back on track, with the Croatian looking to begin his US Open campaign coming off a title. Hijikata can surprise anyone with his peak form and athleticism, but Coric should be too solid in this one.
Prediction: Coric in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
