The French Open continues on day three with 20 men’s singles matches, including Daniil Medvedev vs Cameron Norrie. Our other prediction pieces feature Novak Djokovic vs Mackenzie McDonald, Alexander Zverev vs Learner Tien, Jack Draper vs Matteo Bellucci, and Gael Monfils vs Hugo Dellien. Ateet Shrivastava, Nurein Ahmed, and Tope Oke offer their insights. But who will advance to the second round?
French Open Men’s Day 3 Predictions
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Federico Agustin Gomez
Ateet
Aleksandar Kovacevic has not won a main draw match since Houston, but played at a high level in the second set against Zverev in Hamburg. If he can play at that level, he will win this match against the lucky loser, Agustin Gomez.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 4
Nurein
Gomez had a rough time before this tournament with five losses on the bounce. But he turned it around in qualifying with a couple of wins before he was beaten in the third round. Now, he’s got an opportunity as a lucky loser. This could get physical, and with Kovacevic showing a bit more offensive power, he’ll likely scrape into the next round.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 5
Tope
Gomez, who recently revealed he considered quitting the sport due to depression, has made it to the main draw of a major for the first time in his career. I believe the only way is up from here as he faces Kovacevic, who has had a disjointed season.
Prediction: Gomez in 5
Matteo Arnaldi vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Ateet
Matteo Arnaldi is a brilliant clay courter, and his ceiling can trouble many top players. Felix Auger-Aliassime got some much-needed wins in Hamburg, but his backhand looked extremely vulnerable, and Arnaldi will try to exploit it. This should be a close match, but I have the Italian winning this.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 5
Nurein
Not a lot of spots separate Auger-Aliassime and Arnaldi. The Italian is unfortunate to miss out on a seeding spot, but he can pull off a statement win here. Auger-Aliassime has looked far too erratic of late, and his semifinal finish in Hamburg does little to justify being the favorite.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 5
Tope
This matchup is challenging to predict, with only nine spots separating the two in the rankings. Each player performed well in their last tournaments. While the Canadian enters as the favorite, Arnaldi is well and truly capable of winning their first encounter.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 5
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Dusan Lajovic vs Alexander Shevchenko
Ateet
Dusan Lajovic has struggled this clay season, but this is his best surface. The same can not be said for Shevchenko, who comes in as a lucky loser and is better on hard courts. Lajovic plays with a lot of spin and can create great angles from his backhand, which will trouble Shevchenko. I am leaning towards the Serb.
Prediction: Lajovic in 4
Nurein
Lajovic was completely overpowered in his last two matches against superior opponents. Shevchenko has looked inconsistent for most of this season, and it was not surprising that he lost in qualifying. He’s benefitting from a backdoor entrance into the main draw. The Kazakh could still be dangerous if he cleans up his baseline power.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 4
Tope
Shevchenko reached the quarter-finals at the Bordeaux Challenger in his previous tournament, but he has yet to make it to the last four in any event this year, and he lands in Paris as a lucky loser. Lajovic reached the fourth round of this event 11 years ago, but he has struggled in recent years, which has left him ranked outside the top 100. Both players are not currently exhibiting their best form, and there isn’t a definitive favorite, so I’ll go with the more experienced Serb.
Prediction: Lajovic in 4
Daniil Medvedev vs Cameron Norrie
Ateet
Both players have been in good form coming into this match and will back themselves to win this match. These two played recently in Rome, where Medvedev defeated Norrie in straight sets. However, Norrie reached the semifinals in Geneva the following week and looked in better touch. Medvedev is playing some quality tennis on clay this season, and the head-to-head factor will also give him a mental advantage.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Nurein
Medvedev had a pretty good grasp of Norrie’s game when they played in Rome. His defensive skills are often underestimated on clay. He doesn’t have the burden of pressure that often accompanies many top players in this tournament, so maybe we’ll see him play his best tennis.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Tope
Medvedev holds a 4-0 advantage in their head-to-head and has not lost a set in any of their meetings. They last faced each other less than three weeks ago in the second round of the Italian Open, where the Russian won comfortably in straight sets, which was their only encounter on clay, and while Medvedev should extend his dominance, a Norrie fightback is also possible.
Prediction: Medvedev in 5
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
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