The last 16 at the ATP 250 in Adelaide promises plenty of interesting matchups. Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime are two of Canada’s finest who will be in action. Wednesday will also be Sebastian Korda’s first match in four months. Who will reach the quarterfinals?
ATP Adelaide Day 3 Predictions
Denis Shapovalov vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: Giron 1-0 Shapovalov
Giron enters this match as the higher-ranked player, but Shapovalov has more talent than the American. The Canadian’s absence from the tour in the second half of 2023 had a massive impact on his ranking slump. But he’s done terrific work in the last six months culminating with his first ATP title since 2019 in Belgrade. On the evidence of his strong showing against Zhizhen Zhang, Shapovalov should be considered the favorite here.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 2
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Arthur Cazaux
Head-to-head: Auger-Aliassime 1-0 Cazaux
Although Canada was eliminated in the group stage at the United Cup, Auger-Aliassime delivered in one of the singles matches. He was the only man to beat Taylor Fritz in this year’s competition. Cazaux opened his account for the new season with a comfortable win over home wild card Adam Walton. The Frenchman is a fantastic point constructor and he tested Auger-Aliassime’s movement the last time they played on a hard court. Expect more of the same here, but the result is unlikely to be different.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Tommy Paul vs Manuel Guinard
Head-to-head: first meeting
Paul has not lost before the quarterfinals in Adelaide. In three previous appearances, he’s made the last eight twice and a semifinal once on debut back in 2020. So, it’s sensible that he opted to start his season here. Guinard had just four wins at the ATP level before this week. He has made it five after shocking Roman Safiullin in three sets. It would be quite a statement if he takes down Paul, but that’s unlikely to happen.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Sebastian Korda vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-head: Korda 2-0 Davidovich Fokina
This is expected to mark Korda’s first competitive match since the 2024 US Open. During his absence from the tour, Korda underwent elbow surgery. It’s tough to gauge which version of Korda will turn up in Adelaide, so I’m leaning towards a Davidovich Fokina victory, which in truth would not be an upset by any stretch.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Main Photo Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
