It’s time! Roger Federer will be on court for an ATP match for the first time in 14 months on Wednesday in Doha. All second-round matches will be completed in what looks like an extremely exciting day of tennis. Who do you think will advance? (We also predict the day’s other four matches.)
ATP Doha Day 3 Predictions
Vasek Pospisil vs Denis Shapovalov
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 2-1
This is an extremely tough call. Denis Shapovalov leads the head-to-head by a 2017 victory on the Challenger Tour, but a better representation of how this matchup should look are the two meetings the pair traded about a year ago. Vasek Pospisil has already played a match here, easily taking care of Christopher O’Connell. It wouldn’t be fair to say he’s got more match practice than Shapovalov though, since this was only his second match of the season. The younger of the Canadians has a lot more upside but his level also varies a lot more on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps Shapovalov’s pros can just outweigh the cons.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
David Goffin vs Taylor Fritz
Head-to-head: Goffin 1-0
David Goffin has been looking a different man since going deep in Montpellier (and eventually clinching the title). The Belgian struggled with his motivation during the pandemic but it appears that the determination has come back. No one needs to be assured that Goffin is an elite player when his confidence is high. He also has a head-to-head hard court win against Taylor Fritz.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-head: First meeting
This seems really interesting on paper but should be something close to a mismatch. Andrey Rublev has been in absolutely stunning form for well over a year now, while Richard Gasquet is struggling to stay fit in the twilight of his career. The Frenchman is a master of point construction and finesse but he should come up short against the incredible firepower of Rublev’s forehand. His movement in defense has been lacking for a while now and it will be a big issue in this matchup.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Roger Federer vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: Federer 4-0
The games of these two are often compared to each other because of the ridiculous variety both can bring, great backhand slice and lots of netplay. What adds spice to the matchup is that prior to coming to Doha, Roger Federer and Dan Evans practiced together as the Swiss was trying to get in shape after two knee surgeries. We don’t have any indication of Federer’s form after 14 months of break outside of a practice video. What usually made the difference in this matchup was the power discrepancy and while it should take him some time to settle down, Federer usually has the upper hand against Evans.
Prediction: Federer in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
