Second-round action continues on day four at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters with 12 matches on the schedule. There should be plenty of entertaining action, and as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Botic van de Zandschulp vs Casper Ruud and Dominic Thiem vs Holger Rune. But who will secure their spot in the third round?
ATP Monte Carlo Day 4 Predictions
Jannik Sinner vs Diego Schwartzman
Head-to-head: Sinner 1-0 Schwartzman
Playing for the first time since his Miami final defeat, Jannik Sinner is among the favourites this week in Monte Carlo. The hard-hitting Italian is in the same quarter of the draw as two-time winner Novak Djokovic, which only adds to the intrigue. But Sinner should be taking things one match at a time starting with a struggling Diego Schwartzman. The Argentine picked up a rare win in his first-round match, getting the better of fellow veteran David Goffin for the loss of only six games. But although that win was encouraging, Schwartzman does not have the ammunition to go toe-to-toe with Sinner or, right now at least, the consistency to outlast him from the baseline. The seventh seed should be comfortable enough here.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
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Karen Khachanov vs Ilya Ivashka
Head-to-head: Khachanov 3-0 Ivashka
Karen Khachanov knocked out last year’s finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in routine fashion, allowing him just four games. A similar fate could happen here to Ilya Ivashka who edged out Marrakech semifinalist Dan Evans 2-6 6-2 6-3. Ivashka has generally never enjoyed a great deal of success on clay and he also trails the in-form Khachanov 0-3 in their head-to-head. That does not inspire a great deal of confidence in his chances here. Which isn’t to say he has no chance at all. In fact, he might even take this match the distance. But it is hard to see him picking up another victory at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters. The Russian takes this one.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
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Lorenzo Musetti vs Luca Nardi
Head-to-head: Nardi 1-0 Musetti
Lorenzi Musetti picked up just his third win since the United Cup, beating Estoril runner-up Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 6-0. The first set was particularly important for Musetti who erased a couple of break points in the seventh game. He went on to win the tiebreak and Kecmanovic, perhaps feeling the effects of his exertions in Portugal, faltered badly in the second set, losing it to love. Musetti will now brace himself for an all-Italian clash in the second round against qualifier Luca Nardi.
What a week this is turning out to be for the 19-year-old, who scored his first main draw win at a Masters 1000 and just his second ATP win overall against the Monagasque wild card Valentin Vacherot. But whilst Nardi may well have a bright future, facing Musetti, even out of form, is a very different proposition to coming up against Vacherot. Do not expect Nardi to get past his more experienced countryman.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
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Alexander Zverev vs Roberto Bautista Agut
Head-to-head: Zverev 4-2 Bautista Agut
Alexander Zverev’s on the comeback trail and it was only fitting he earned a comeback win on his first match on the clay since that freak ankle injury at last year’s French Open. It was far from vintage, but as he put it at the end of the match, he sort of needed to get that injury out of his head. And Alexander Bublik has been his bogey opponent in the past. So essentially, this was Zverev trying to get the perfect result instead of a perfect performance. He managed that at least.
Roberto Bautista Agut, meanwhile, ended a four-match losing streak by beating lucky loser Filip Krajinovic. The Spaniard saved a match point in the second set tiebreak before completing his own come-from-behind victory in three sets. Zverev has never had trouble adjusting to the clay courts throughout his career. If he can build on the level he displayed against Bublik, expect Zverev to snuff out Bautista Agut’s chances fairly quickly.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
