The second-round matches begin on Wednesday at the ATP Nordea Open in Bastad, and the top two seeds, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud will be in action. The last year’s finalists will look to get to a good start. As always, we here at LWOT will offer our predictions for every match on the slate for Day 3. But who will advance to the quarterfinals?
ATP Bastad Day 3 Predictions
Roberto Carballes Baena vs Denis Yevseyev
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Roberto Carballes Baena had a difficult first-round match against Roman Safiullin but the Spaniard showed why he is good on clay and came out victorious. He served well during clutch moments and played to his strength. Denis Yevseyev was also impressive in his last match to get his first tour-level win. Yevseyev has been a mainstay on the Challenger Tour and this win will help him a lot to up his rankings. Yevseyev will be full of confidence but Carballes Baena will be better prepared than Muller.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
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Pavel Kotov vs Duje Ajdukovic
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Pavel Kotov navigated through a tough opening-round match against Cristian Garin and would like his chances to go deep this week. Kotov plays with so much variety and never gives up on a ball. He can play great tennis when he is on and blast winners from anywhere on the court. Duje Ajdukovic has been in great form at the Nordea Open as he is yet to drop a set in his three matches here including qualifiers. This will be a close match but Kotov’s current form and confidence should give him the edge.
Prediction: Kotov in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Thiago Agustin Tirante
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Things haven’t been going great for Andrey Rublev in the last couple of months. He is on a three-match losing streak and needs some match wins to secure his position inside the Top 10. The defending Nordea Open champion will try to get off to a strong start and set the tone for the remainder of the week. Thiago Agustin Tirante did well to win his first-round match but, he doesn’t stand a chance even against an out-of-form Rublev.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Casper Ruud vs Thiago Monteiro
Head-to-Head: Ruud 3-0 Monteiro
Casper Ruud is back to his beloved surface and will look to win this week or at least go as deep as possible to get as many matches before the Olympics. The slow and high bouncing conditions at the Nordea Open in Bastad are tailor-made for Ruud’s game. However, he has a tough second-round test in the form of Thiago Monteiro, who is having a great season and will not be easily beaten. Ruud has never lost a set to Monteiro in their previous meetings but Monteiro has improved a lot this year and is full of confidence. Monteiro can cause some trouble here and might win a set but I am backing the Norwegian player to win in the end.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
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Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
