The second round matches will start on Day 3 of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Two of the top three seeds will be in action, including the top seed, Tommy Paul. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate. But which players will advance to the quarterfinals?
ATP Houston Day 3 Predictions
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Corentin Denolly
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Aleksandar Kovacevic played a great match in the first round to upset Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets. With this fantastic win, Kovacevic broke his three-match losing streak on the ATP Tour. This has been the Frenchman’s best season so far, and I expect him to reach another quarterfinal by beating Corentin Denolly, who got his first career tour-level win in the first round and will face a top 100 player for the first time at this level.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 2
Colton Smith vs Ethan Quinn
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Colton Smith has been winning many matches this season in the Challenger Tour and that confidence has started to show up on the ATP Tour too. He was ranked outside the top 500 last September and now finds himself inside the top 200. In the second round, he will face his compatriot, Ethan Quinn, who got a fantastic win against Jordan Thompson in the first round. This is a great opportunity for both these young players to make their first-ever tour-level quarterfinal, and I’m leaning slightly towards Smith.
Prediction: Smith in 3
Alejandro Tabilo vs Jenson Brooksby
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Alejandro Tabilo is the #3 seed at this event and has finally started winning matches after a rough start to the season. Tabilo hopes to have a deep run this week and arrive in peak condition for the forthcoming European clay tournaments. However, he has an extremely challenging match against Jenson Brooksby, who is getting better with every tournament. Brooksby played another solid match in the first round to defeat Taro Daniel. It should be a close match, but I am backing the local player.
Prediction: Brooksby in 3
Tommy Paul vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-Head: Paul 1-2 Garin
Top seed Tommy Paul will start his campaign against Cristian Garin in the second round. Paul has never been past the second round in Houston and has been dealt a very tricky opponent to overcome. Garin leads the head-to-head, having won both of their clay-court meetings. Garin’s form, however, has deteriorated, and the clay courts of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships differ significantly from those at European clay championships. Garin has a great record here and is a former champion, but I like Paul’s chances to get to his first quarterfinal in Houston.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
