One of the few remaining one-week ATP 1000 events is once again just relentless in delivering us lots of high-quality action every day in Paris. No. 8 seed Grigor Dimitrov and No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur are still in the hunt for an ATP Finals spot, while No. 5 seed Taylor Fritz was announced as a qualified player during this event despite not setting foot on the court yet. Who do you think will make the next stage of this tournament?
ATP Paris Day 3 Predictions
Grigor Dimitrov vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: First meeting
Grigor Dimitrov made the final in Paris last year and needs something similar to remain in the race for the last spots at the ATP Finals. While that seems relatively unlikely, the Bulgarian is still looking solid and winning the matches he’s supposed to win. Facing Tomas Martin Etcheverry on an indoor hard court should probably count as one of them. Especially as he clearly feels good at this venue and just has so much more indoor pedigree.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 2
Alex de Minaur vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head: 1-1
A chance is opening up for Alex de Minaur with Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud getting eliminated. To pass the Russian in the ATP Race, he only needs to win two more matches in Paris. It’s just things haven’t been easy for the 25-year-old recently as he’s trying to get back to full fitness while still picking up points. Miomir Kecmanovic is a much bigger indoor threat than Mariano Navone and de Minaur will need to bring something closer to his A-game here. He’ll probably still manage to grab the win this round.
Prediction: de Minaur in 2
Arthur Fils vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Head-to-head: First meeting
Having peaked up two ATP 500 titles this year, Arthur Fils is one of the hottest players on the planet right now. We’ll see if his consistency is getting there too and this is a pretty solid test. While Jan-Lennard Struff literally just returned from a hip injury, he’s already defeated Lorenzo Musetti and has all the tools to take time away on an indoor hard court. The roaring crowd might be what helps Fils get the win here, he loves the big stage and such rowdy atmosphere.
Prediction: Fils in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: Fritz 2-1
Jack Draper is the in-form player right now with six wins in a row after picking up the Vienna title. He lost to Taylor Fritz twice on clay this year, a surface that neither player holds in very high regard. This promises to be quite close with the American playing for the first time since Shanghai and not having the momentum of Draper. But maybe this is where fatigue kicks in for the hero of the last few days? Tough to pick a winner but even if he’s a small favorite, Fritz cannot afford to have a slow start here.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
