Second-round action at ATP Eastbourne gets underway on Wednesday. Top seed Taylor Fritz begins his quest to win an unprecedented fifth title at Devonshire Park when he faces British qualifier Jan Choinski. Who will reach the quarterfinals?
ATP Eastbourne Day 3 Predictions
Quentin Halys vs Giles Hussey
Head-to-head: first meeting
Giles Hussey has not dropped a set from qualifying, and his two main draw wins on grass (tour level) have come at ATP Eastbourne. Hussey was scheduled to face Joao Fonseca. But the Brazilian prodigy withdrew from the tournament. It is Quentin Halys who benefits from a lucky loser spot. For a player of Halys’ natural profile, you would expect a far stronger record on grass courts. That said, if the Frenchman finds a decent serving rhythm, he has effortless firepower that can bail him out of trouble.
Prediction: Halys in 3
Gabriel Diallo vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: Diallo 1-0 Etcheverry
Results at the start of this swing haven’t quite matched last year’s breakthrough for Gabriel Diallo. His title defense in Den Bosch ended at the first hurdle. But he was handed two brutal draws to begin with, facing Adrian Mannarino and Alex de Minaur in back-to-back weeks. His struggles before that were compounded by a persistent back injury and missed key events before the French Open. Etcheverry does his best work on clay, but he is on a wretched run of form. This is a much more favorable matchup for Diallo, who is fit and firing.
Prediction: Diallo in 2
Toby Samuel vs Thiago Agustin Tirante
Head-to-head: first meeting
Toby Samuel is guaranteed to play in his second Grand Slam at Wimbledon next week. He qualified for the French Open, and his Wimbledon wild card is the reward for the good work he’s done on the Challenger level. Tirante is a natural clay-courer. His heavier ball causes problems on slower surfaces. Samuel should feel far more at home in these conditions. He’s comfortable playing short points and stepping into the court early.
Prediction: Samuel in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Jan Choinski
Head-to-head: first meeting
Taylor Fritz is the two-time defending champion at ATP Eastbourne. No player has won more titles than Fritz’s haul of four at Devonshire Park. But last year’s title win was not quite as dominant as in previous seasons. Fritz dropped at least a set in each match before the final. He returns to Eastbourne on the back of two runner-up finishes in Stuttgart and Halle. Choinski notched an impressive win against Alexei Popyrin, and he could potentially make Fritz work for a victory here. But even after the disappointment of missing out on the title in recent weeks, I expect Fritz to find another gear at ATP Eastbourne.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
