Day 3 in the Swiss town of Gstaad brings four intriguing Round of 16 matches, with seeded players and former Major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas all in action. As always, we here at LWOT will be breaking down and predicting every match for you. But who do you think will reach the next round?
ATP Gstaad Day 3 Predictions
Raphael Collignon vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: First meeting
Raphael Collignon had a tough opening-round match, where he was a tiebreak away from crashing out. Having come through that contest, the Belgian should enter this match with full trust in his baseline game, as this clash against Lorenzo Sonego is likely to be decided from the back of the court. The Italian likes to employ an all-out attacking style, which can either take the racket out of his opponent’s hands or self-destruct. I think Collignon’s counterpunching can have success in this matchup, but ultimately I expect Sonego’s experience to show over three sets.
Prediction: Sonego in 3
Arthur Rinderknech vs Clement Tabur
Head-to-head: First meeting
While Clement Tabur has done very well to reach this stage of the event after coming all the way through qualifying, Arthur Rinderknech enters this all-French clash as the favourite thanks to his experience on the ATP Tour. Rinderknech will have to be wary of Tabur’s ability to grind out points on the slower surface, but if he serves well and stays aggressive from the baseline, he should come through this match.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 2
Yannick Hanfmann vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-head: First meeting
Despite this being a clay-court contest, the most important factor will be each player’s serve, as both rely heavily on their first delivery. Yannick Hanfmann has the serving power and forehand to back it up, making him a tricky proposition for any player on this surface, while Valentin Vacherot’s ability to hit winners and play aggressively from both wings also makes him dangerous. The deciding factor for me is that this is Vacherot’s first match in over six weeks, and if the contest goes the distance, as I expect it to, that should favour the German.
Prediction: Hanfmann in 3
Jerome Kym vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: First meeting
Given a wildcard into his home tournament, Jerome Kym came through a tough battle in his opening-round match to set up a clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek, who now finds himself closer to being outside the top 100 than inside the top 50, desperately needs to build some valuable momentum in this tournament, as he showed in his no-nonsense opening-round performance. Kym does have the serve to make return games difficult for Tsitsipas, but on this slower surface, Tsitsipas should have enough firepower off his forehand to dictate play and earn another much-needed victory.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Main Image Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
