Round of 16 action will get underway on day three at the Swiss Open, with a number of top names still in contention in Gstaad. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
Swiss Open Day Three Predictions
Roberto Carballes Baena vs Stefano Travaglia
Head-to-head: first meeting
The Italian Travaglia finds himself at a career-high ranking of 98 after a quarterfinal run in Umag. He made good start at the Swiss Open as well, dispatching Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan in straight sets, helped on his way by ten aces. Carballes Baena, meanwhile, rallied from losing a tight first set to advance comfortably enough, 6-7 6-3 6-3. Both men will view themselves as having a real chance of advancing to the last eight and this looks to have all the makings of a tight contest. But if Carballes Baena can improve his numbers from the line, he should be the man to reach the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
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Lorenzo Sonego vs Thomas Fabbiano
Head-to-head: first meeting
In an all-Italian clash, Sonego and Fabbiano will meet for a place in the quarterfinals. Both men played some fine tennis during the grass-court swing. Sonego won his first title in Antalya and Fabbiano picked up some great wins at Eastbourne and Wimbledon, notably beating Stefanos Tsitsipas at the All England Club. Clay, however, hasn’t been Fabbiano’s favourite surface and he has a dismal 4-16 win-loss record on clay at tour-level.
Sonego, in contrast, has looked rather more comfortable on the clay so far in his career. His quarterfinal run at the Monte Carlo Masters, highlighted by a victory over Karen Khachanov, was a major breakthrough for him and he’ll be looking to keep posting good results on the terre battue. Seeded fourth here, a good run could improve his ranking of #52, which would be a major boost ahead of the North American hard-court swing. Expect him to take the first steps towards that here.
Prediction: Sonego in 2
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Jiri Vesely vs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe
Head-to-head: Vesely 1-0 Stebe
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe will surely have gained real confidence after beating Corentin Moutet in straight sets that he can return to the top of the game after a nightmarish spell out injured. He’ll need that confidence when he takes on Jiri Vesely, who beat him last week at the Croatia Open. The match was, however, a tight affair with Vesely clinching it 7-6 3-6 7-6. Vesely, once ranked as high as 35th in the world, now finds himself outside the top 100, though he did reach the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier. He looked sharp in his first-round win over Gulbis and expect him to deny the German once again.
Prediction: Vesely in 2
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Fernando Verdasco vs Albert Ramos Vinolas
Head-to-head: Verdasco 5-3 Ramos Vinolas
In surely the most exciting clash of day three at the Swiss Open, Fernando Verdasco will face his countryman Albert Ramos Vinolas in his opening match. The pair faced off just last week in Bastad, with Ramos Vinolas winning comfortably 6-2 6-4, in a match featuring no shortage of breaks of serve. Both players have a similar style of play and are at their best on they clay, though Verdasco, the more powerful player, is more prone to committing unforced errors. Both have beaten the other on the clay, but expect it to be Ramos Vinolas’ day once again after his convincing win at the Swedish Open.
Prediction: Ramos Vinolas in 3
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