We have quite an interesting matchup on Day 3 of the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal. Jordan Thompson defeated Alexander Zverev in Tokyo in 2023 and in Los Cabos in 2024. Both matches the Australian pulled off a sizeable upset with the latter eventually leading to his maiden ATP Tour title. Now he’s going to face the German again as they revisit a rivalry that began all the way back in 2012. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Montreal Day 3 Predictions
Alejandro Tabilo vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Sonego 1-0
Alejandro Tabilo was born in Canada and even represented that country in the juniors, giving him a much stronger hard-court pedigree than most South American players. The comfort level showed in the opening round as he made his debut in this event. Being a relative crowd favorite to the local spectators might help as well. This isn’t an easy one to call, but Sonego has been very mediocre in 2024 and isn’t playing with as much confidence as Tabilo.
Prediction: Tabilo in 3
Ben Shelton vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: Shelton 1-0
Ben Shelton isn’t making any real progress of late, mostly because of how low-margin his return game is. That certainly could be an issue against Alexei Popyrin as the Australian might have an easy way to make this a tie-break lottery. This state cannot last forever though, Shelton is simply too talented for that. He’s built up some great momentum for himself in Washington and by taking the opening round against Alexander Bublik, maybe this will be a huge event for him.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: First meeting
Andrey Rublev lost his aura this year and is now longer unbeatable for anyone who’s not at the very top of the sport. Getting two wins in Washington was already a solid outcome for the Russian, but he won’t be satisfied with his performance against Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals there. Tomas Martin Etcheverry will keep up with his intensity off the baseline and should prove a formidable foe. On hard courts Rublev remains the favorite, even if he’s not as impervious as before.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Alexander Zverev vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-head: 2-2
Jordan Thompson won his last two matches against Alexander Zverev, pulling off big upsets on both occasions. The Australian is firing on all cylinders in this North American hard court swing, making the Atlanta final and reaching the quarterfinals in Washington. It’s tough to say if he can actually take down Zverev again though. While he’s developed his game so much over the years, it would still be a sizeable upset even despite their two most recent clashes. The German is usually very solid in the early rounds.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
