Four second-round matches have been scheduled for Friday, Day 3 at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo. Some of the favorites have already gone out with top seed Taylor Fritz getting eliminated by Arthur Fils, while No. 2 seed Hubert Hurkacz will now face a tough challenge from US Open semifinalist Jack Draper. Fils himself takes on two-time ATP 500 champion Matteo Berrettini. Who do you think will advance to the quarterfinals?
ATP Tokyo Day 3 Predictions
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 4-1
Hubert Hurkacz looked like he needed rest at the US Open and now that he took a few weeks off, we’ll see if he’s any closer to recovering his form. First round was a bit of a mess, but he pulled through in three sets against Marcos Giron regardless. This match against recent US Open semifinalist Jack Draper will be quite telling. Hurkacz usually performs very well against lefties with his stellar defense of the backhand corner and the Brit might be a little overrated now after his New York heroics (where literally all of his opponents weren’t close to their best).
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mariano Navone played his best hard-court tennis to date when he defeated Luciano Darderi on Wednesday. Despite having less conventional weapons than the Italian, he managed to hit 33 winners to his 13 and was crafting up rallies as if he was on clay. But how much will that give him against Ben Shelton? It probably grants him a fighting chance and it’s good to see some progress from the dirt specialist. Still, the defending champion should be able to push through.
Prediction: Shelton in 2
Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert
Head-to-head: Humbert 2-1
Brandon Nakashima is picking up Top 20 wins left and right recently and did well to turn around a horrible head-to-head record against Frances Tiafoe on Thursday. Now he has to take down Ugo Humbert and it’s an interesting clash of styles. The Frenchman is pretty erratic with his flat strokes but when he’s on a good day on a fast court, his ceiling is higher than Nakashima’s. Conditions in Tokyo might make it slightly easier for Humbert’s game to shine.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Arthur Fils vs Matteo Berrettini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Arthur Fils took out the top seed and 2022 champion Taylor Fritz on Thursday, once again showing how dangerous he can be against top-quality opposition. But it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get through Matteo Berrettini, who’s already picked up three titles this year and is still very under-ranked at the moment. Fils has done well against weaker one-handed backhands before, although Berrettini at least has the slice to neutralize and get out of sticky situations. The Frenchman will need to maintain a really high intensity on serve to prevail.
Prediction: Fils in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
