With all eight third-round matches on the schedule on day five at the Tokyo Olympics, there should be plenty of entertaining tennis. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Daniil Medvedev vs Fabio Fognini. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
Tokyo Olympics Day 5 Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Jim: Novak Djokovic has made a sharp start to his campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, beating Hugo Dellien and Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets to reach the third round. Tougher tests await if he is to secure the gold medal, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina probably isn’t one of them. Djokovic won their only previous match very comfortably and there seems little reason to expect a more competitive encounter here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Yesh: Djokovic has not looked otherworldly so far this tournament, but he’s been more than solid enough. Davidovich Fokina is often underrated and could make a match of this, but you still can’t pick against Djokovic.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Anurag: What a story the Spaniard is writing this season. Clay and hard courts seem to be bringing the best in Davidovich Fokina. But if John Millman was a formidable test in the second round, look who he is drawn against now. Will Djokovic be stopped here? It looks very unlikely. This is a big moment for the Spaniard, but if he is to advance, he will need to play the match of his life.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Diego Schwartzman vs Karen Khachanov
Jim: Karen Khachanov made a slow start at the Olympics, dropping the first set of his first match to Yoshihito Nishioka, but he has impressed since. Diego Schwartzman, meanwhile, has made slightly hard work of beating the lowly ranked Juan Pablo Varillas and Tomas Machac. That is not particularly encouraging for his chances in this match.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
Yesh: Schwartzman still looks solid, though not as impressive as I’ve expected. Still, Khachanov has been a bit shaky this tournament, and Schwartzman’s game should eventually overwhelm the Russian.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 2
Anurag: The Argentine appeared to be in blistering form as he thwarted Machac’s challenge in straight sets. Khachanov, on the other hand, one of only two players still standing from Russia, was no different as he took down the dangerous James Duckworth in straight sets too. There is not much to separate the two and it could go either way, but I am trusting in the Argentine, who leads their head-to-head 2-1, to shine in this contest.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
Jeremy Chardy vs Liam Broady
Jim: It is fair to say that few could have expected either Liam Broady or Jeremy Chardy to be in the quarterfinals, but one of them will be and both have more than earned their place in the third round in Tokyo. But Chardy has won both of their previous matches without dropping a set and also has the advantage in big match experience. He should have the edge here.
Prediction: Chardy in 3
Yesh: What a run from Liam Broady, and he gets a good third-round matchup to go with it. Chardy isn’t young, and he’s played some brutally physical tennis so far. This is a real chance for the Brit.
Prediction: Broady in 3
Anurag: Broady produced perhaps the biggest upset this week in eliminating the in-form Hurkacz. He has never been in this situation before, having played at lower-level tournaments for most of his career. He just might surprise us one more time, however. The Frenchman may have the weapons to end Broady’s challenge, but he is often inconsistent. Expect Broady to progress at least one round deeper and keep British hopes alive.
Prediction: Broady in 3
Dominik Koepfer vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Jim: This looks to have the makings of a relatively close battle, with long baseline rallies certain to be the order of the day. But it would be a surprise if it were not Pablo Carreno Busta who came out on top. The Spaniard does not always get the credit he deserves for his excellent record on hard courts, but expect him to prove once again here how good he can be on this surface.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
Yesh: Koepfer is very quietly playing well and winning matches. It won’t be quiet much longer after he reaches an Olympic quarterfinal.
Prediction: Koepfer in 2
Anurag: Carreno Busta edged past the towering Marin Cilic in a close contest in the second round. He is the highest ranked Spaniard at the Tokyo Olympics and clearly a better player than the German, who has enjoyed a kind draw up until this point. Koepfer might cause trouble with his serve and take this into a decider, but the more experienced Carreno Busta should prevail.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 3
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