Though there is no doubting Wimbledon’s pre-eminent place in the grass-court calendar, the ATP Newport Open – the final tournament of the year played on the surface – has plenty to recommend it. On day three, 16 men will battle for a place in the quarterfinals, with a number of highly decorated players set to take to the court. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Alexander Bublik vs Ivo Karlovic. But who will advance?
ATP Newport Open Day 3 Predictions
Sebastian Ofner vs Kevin Anderson
Head-to-head: first meeting
Though both men are currently ranked outside the world’s top 100, there is no doubt which one of them has the advantage in terms of experience. Kevin Anderson has scaled heights very few players reach, having played in two Grand Slam finals and been ranked as high as world #5. His game has been robbed of some of its potency by a succession of injuries, but he showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the first round by dispatching Ilya Marchenko in straight sets.
Sebastian Ofner, in contrast, has never been ranked inside the top 100. But he has found a rich vein of form so far at the ATP Newport Open, beating Roberto Quiroz and Ruben Bemelmans to come through the qualifying before getting the better of Yasutake Uchiyama 6-4 6-4 for his first tour-level win of the season. But beating Anderson is another matter. Both men clearly enjoy grass-court tennis, but the South African has the more reliable game and, perhaps crucially, he is a better match player.
Prediction: Anderson in 3
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Jason Jung vs Tennys Sandgren
Head-to-head: Sandgren 1-0 Jung
Tennys Sandgren has had more than his fair share of bad draws at the Majors and the most recent Championships were no exception as he found himself up against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the second round. The American was overpowered and fell to a 5-7 2-6 3-6 defeat. But he bounced back from that defeat in impressive fashion to beat Joao Sousa 6-4 7-6 and this looks like another winnable match for a player of his abilities.
Jason Jung is not short of application and the Taiwanese rarely gives matches away. But there is a reason that he has spent the vast majority of his career playing at Futures and Challenger level. He does not quite pack enough punch to trouble the best in the game nor does he have the speed around the court to frustrate them. He dug in to beat Brayden Schnur in three tight sets in the first round, but Sandgren will likely prove a challenge too far for the 32-year-old.
Prediction: Sandgren in 2
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Yoshihito Nishioka vs Jack Sock
Head-to-head: Nishioka 1-1 Sock
It is sometimes hard to believe that less than three years ago Jack Sock was playing in London at the ATP Finals, where he reached the last four. The American has won only a handful of matches since (in singles at least) and his 3-6 6-4 6-3 win over Australia’s Alex Bolt in the first round at the ATP Newport Open was his first of the season. He will no doubt be keen to back that up when he takes on Yoshihito Nishioka, but that may prove to be easier said than done.
The Japanese is not in particularly sparkling form, but he has the fundamentals of a good grass-court game thanks to his excellent court-coverage and efficient forehand. He is also quite at home taking on big hitters, having beaten Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the French Open and John Isner at Wimbledon. Sock would probably win this match at his best, but the American has not been at his best for some time. His forehand and serve may help him keep it competitive, but expect Nishioka to prove too strong.
Prediction: Nishioka in 3
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Peter Gojowczyk vs Vasek Pospisil
Head-to-head: first meeting
Vasek Pospisil may well be viewing the ATP Newport Open as the ideal opportunity to win his first tour-level title in singles. The Canadian is well-equipped to play on the grass with a powerful forehand and serve combination, as well as good hands at the net honed on the doubles court. He should also have plenty of motivation to play his best tennis, having ultimately disappointed at Wimbledon where he lost in straight sets in the second round to Frances Tiafoe.
However, this looks like a tough opening test for Pospisil. Peter Gojowczyk is an experienced campaigner and although his powers may be on the wane, he can still do some damage. He demonstrated as much by dismissing Mitchell Krueger in the first round for the loss of only four games. The American struggled to contend with his flat groundstrokes throughout that match and they could cause Pospisil problems too. But the Canadian has more weaponry of his own than Krueger.
Prediction: Pospisil in 3
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