Day 3 of the 2022 ATP Queen’s Club Championships will see four second round singles matches contested. The first round match between Denis Shapovalov and Tommy Paul, which was suspended at one set apiece due to darkness on Day 2, will also be concluded. Former champions Marin Cilic and Grigor Dimitrov are among players in action at the ATP 500 grass court tournament on Wednesday. Five of the eight seeded players have already fallen in the opening round of the event.
ATP Queen’s Club Day 3 Predictions
Alex De Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-head: Davidovich Fokina 1-0 De Minaur (2-1 including ATP Challenger and Next Gen Finals matches)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has won two of his five senior matches on grass and beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets the opening round in London. The World No. 44 also claimed the Wimbledon boys’ singles crown in 2017.
Alex De Minaur holds a healthy 13-10 career record on grass, despite losing to Adrian Mannarino in the opening round in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week. The World No. 21 reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club last year, losing to eventual winner Matteo Berrettini. He then claimed the title in Eastbourne the following week.
The Australian impressively downed big-serving Reilly Opelka 6-4 6-4 in the first round on Monday. The 23-year-old’s flat strokes are better suited to this surface than his opponent, who is much more comfortable on clay. This, combined with his greater senior grass court experience, should see him triumph.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Botic Van De Zandschulp vs Grigor Dimitrov
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 1-0 Van De Zandschulp
Botic Van De Zandschulp reached the second round at Wimbledon last year as a lucky loser. The World No. 29 has, though, played just four tour matches on grass and lost in the opening round on home soil in Hertogenbosch last week. The 26-year-old Dutchman defeated qualifier Paul Jubb in three sets in the first round at Queen’s Club.
Grigor Dimitrov has pedigree on grass, having won the Queen’s title and reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2014. The World No. 22 holds a 37-27 record on the surface, but surprisingly has a worse win rate than on both hard courts and clay. The 31-year-old earned a strong three-set win over World No. 11 and 2021 finalist Cameron Norrie in the first round.
The Bulgarian’s wealth of matches on grass, as well as his ability to take the ball early and move forward effectively, give him the edge. The form he displayed in beating Norrie would likely be too much for Van De Zandschulp, who appears more suited to other surfaces.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 2
Jack Draper vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jack Draper showcased his capabilities on grass last year by beating Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik in reaching the Queen’s Club quarterfinals. The 20-year-old Brit then took a set off eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the opening round of the Wimbledon Championships. The World No. 99 convincingly saw off World No. 14 Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round this week.
Emil Ruusuvuori defeated Jay Clarke and two-time former champion Feliciano Lopez – after saving three match points – to qualify for the event. The World No. 56 then battled past Quentin Halys in three sets in the opening round. The 23-year-old Finn reached the second round in Hertogenbosch last week.
Draper, who has won three Challenger Tour titles this year, has tended to produced inspired tennis in front of a home crowd so far in his career. The powerful left-hander should be able to down Ruusuvuori, who is at his best on hard courts.
Prediction: Draper in 2
Alexander Bublik vs Marin Cilic
Head-to-head: Cilic 2-0 Bublik
Alexander Bublik holds a 12-9 grass court record, making it his best surface in terms of win percentage. The World No. 37 was a runner-up at Newport in 2019 and reached the third round of Wimbledon last year, losing to eventual semifinalist Hubert Hurkacz. The 24-year-old Kazakh lost to Andy Murray in the second round of Stuttgart last week. Bublik won the first set against Lorenzo Musetti in the first round at Queen’s before the Italian retired.
Marin Cilic has won three grass court titles (including Queen’s twice) and has been a runner-up at a further three grass events, including Wimbledon in 2017. The World No. 17 edged British wildcard Liam Broady in three sets in the opening round this week. The 33-year-old Croat reached the semifinals of the French Open in his previous event.
This will likely be a close contest between two big-serving, aggressive players. Cilic’s confidence from his Roland Garros run and greater consistency should give him the edge at a venue where he tends to thrive.
Prediction: Cilic in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
