On day three at the Stockholm Open a number of the tournament headliners, as well as a home favorite, are set to start their singles campaigns. But who will advance to the quarterfinals in the Swedish capital?
Stockholm Open Day Three Predictions
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Taylor Fritz
Head-to-head: Nishioka 1-0 Fritz
Yoshihito Nishioka made it to the round of 16, despite making a rather poor start to his clash with fellow counterpuncher Radu Albot. The third seeded Taylor Fritz, meanwhile received a first-round bye. A much needed one. After a great start to the summer in his native North America, the wheels have rather come off for the Californian. Although he played well at the Laver Cup, he has won just one of his last seven matches on the regular tour.
That said the Laver Cup and the Stockholm Open do have one important commonality: they are both played indoors. And with Fritz having upped his serve speed considerably this year, that could give the young gun a real advantage in Stockholm. Besides that, the Japanese found himself on the wrong end of some hidings during the Asian swing, losing badly at the hands of Albert Ramos (6-2 6-1), Lucas Pouille (6-1 6-2) and Alexander Bublik (6-3 6-2) during the Asian swing. Expect Fritz to get back on track.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
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Mikael Ymer vs Joao Sousa
Head-to-head: Sousa 1-0 Ymer
Ymermania might be about to take over Stockholm. The 21-year-old Mikael Ymer boasts a stellar 52-16 record in 2019, including a tour-leading four challenger titles. That saw the young gun become the first Swede to break into the Top 100 since Joachim Johansson did so in December 2003 as noted by Phillip Mardh. That said, getting past the Portuguese #1 Sousa will be a tough task.
Sousa not only thrives indoors, but he also seems to relish coming up against members of the Next Gen. In 2019 alone, Sousa has beaten, amongst others, Denis Shapovalov, Alexei Popyrin, Frances Tiafoe, Jannik Sinner, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Still, Ymer is rock-solid at the moment and will have the crowd right behind him. Expect the Swede to extend his 12-match winning streak.
Prediction: Ymer in 3
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Sam Querrey vs Grigor Dimitrov
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 3-0 Querrey
After his stunning, and rather surprising, run to the US Open semifinals, many had expected Grigor Dimitrov to finish the season in style. Instead, he only collected one win in Asia. In fact, his form outside of that magical fortnight in New York has been so poor lately, that the 720 points he earned for making the last four in Flushing Meadows account for more than 50% of his total haul. Sam Querrey, meanwhile, enjoyed his best period of what has been an indifferent year on the grass.
But the powerful serving that took him to a third quarterfinal at the All England Club, will make him a threat to Dimitrov at the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm. The 20 aces he hammered past the qualifier Dennis Novak in a 7-6 6-4 win illustrate that much at least. Nonetheless, Dimitrov is surely the favourite in this match. He generally excels on the quick indoor courts of Europe, winning this title back in 2013, and has beaten the American in all three of their previous meetings. If he can find the Querrey backhand with regularity, expect him to make it four from four.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 2
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