The second round of the ATP Rome Masters starts on Day 3 of main draw play, which means the seeds step onto the court. Will any fall at the first hurdle? As always, we here at LWOT share our thoughts on all the matches. We split the day’s 16 matches between four articles. The other three articles feature Casper Ruud vs Miomir Kecmanovic, Taylor Fritz vs Fabio Fognini, and Alexander Zverev vs Aleksandar Vukic. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Rome Day 3 Predictions
Matteo Gigante vs Francisco Cerundolo
Cerundolo appeared on the verge of breaking into the top of the game last year, though he has fallen far down to earth. Still, he probably has the talent, especially on clay, not to fall against Gigante. But an upset wouldn’t be a total shock, either.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 2
Karen Khachanov vs Alexander Shevchenko
Shevchenko’s record these past few months is atrocious. It’s not that he’s playing poorly. His form is fine, in fact. It’s that he keeps on facing superior players, and therefore keeps on losing to them. Unfortunately for him, he’s not as good as Karen Khachanov, either.
Prediction: Khachanov in 2
Yannick Hanfmann vs Alejandro Tabilo
Yanfmann is a solid enough player, doing nothing particularly special but always solid enough to win a few matches and keep his ranking up. Tabilo, meanwhile, is a rising threat, who will potentially be seeded at Roland Garros. I think he should be able to outplay the German in this one.
Prediction: Tabilo in 2
Novak Djokovic vs Corentin Moutet
Djokovic, who turns 37 in under two weeks, finally looks this year like age is catching up to him. Ever since his stunning loss in the Australian Open semifinal, he hasn’t been the same. Will that continue here? If it does, it won’t be someone like Moutet who knocks him out.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
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