The ATP Astana Open had an excellent second day. It included an enthralling match between Stan Wawrinka and Marcos Giron, with the American prevailing in a final-set tiebreak. Day 3 also has many exciting contests to enjoy. Australian Open quarterfinalist Sebastian Korda is one of the players in action. His match is one of three predicted here. We at LWOT predict the other day 3 matches in Astana in a separate article–which includes Sebastian Baez vs Jurij Rodionov.
ATP Astana Day 3 Predictions
Adrian Mannarino vs Alibek Kachmazov
Head-to-head: First meeting
The ATP Astana Open has already been a great tournament for world #315 Kachmazov. His opening round win against Corentin Moutet was his first ATP Tour main draw win. The often volatile Moutet performed poorly, but Kachmazov’s performance still deserves credit. I doubt he will get another win here though. Mannarino often thrives during the post-US Open hard court swing, reaching five previous finals at this stage of the season. He was also a finalist in Astana back in 2020. Expect the Frenchman’s consistent brand of tennis to stop Kachmazov’s good run.
Prediction: Mannarino in 2
Alexander Shevchenko vs Hamad Medjedovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a battle of the wild cards, and represents a great opportunity for both to reach a rare ATP quarterfinal at the ATP Astana Open. Shevchenko performed impressively to beat Botic van de Zandschulp, while Medjedovic benefited from Laslo Djere being forced to retire with an injury. The conditions should suit Shevchenko slightly more. He prefers to implement his ultra-aggressive style on fast courts, and the Astana courts are moderately fast. By contrast, Medjedovic usually plays best on clay, where he has extra time on his groundstrokes. Shevchenko’s level can be unpredictable. But he is the favourite for this contest at the ATP Astana Open.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 3
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Sebastian Korda vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: First meeting
How Korda returns the huge Popyrin serve is important here. But the Australian does not always thrive most on faster courts. That was shown in July, when Popyrin won his second ATP title on the clay courts of Umag against Stan Wawrinka, who has reinvented himself at the age of 38. The Australian having time on his groundstrokes was one of the biggest reasons for that success. I expect Korda to dominate the baseline exchanges by routinely rushing Popyrin into errors. That means the Umag champion needs to serve exceptionally well to have a good chance of winning. Korda has been somewhat inconsistent this season. But I think last week’s semifinalist in Zhuhai will manufacture enough opportunities to progress to the quarterfinals of the ATP Astana Open.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
