Rain cut the day’s play a bit short at the Nordea Open, but we still have four second-round matches to look forward to on Wednesday. No. 2 seed Tallon Griekspoor and No. 4 Sebastian Baez will be joining the event after receiving byes in the opening rounds. Who do you think will advance to the quarterfinals?
ATP Bastad Day 3 Predictions
Vit Kopriva vs Jesper de Jong
Head-to-head: 1-1
Both players broke the Top 100 this year and are currently trying their best to take advantage of the new opportunities that achievement grants them. It feels like Vit Kopriva is doing a tiny bit better at capitalizing on that. Still, both had a relatively easy match to start the tournament here (the Czech due to Hugo Dellien’s injury, Jesper de Jong faced an 18-year-old wildcard with not much experience at this level). This seems close, and Kopriva’s level on the ATP Tour has felt a tiny bit more convincing.
Prediction: Kopriva in 3
Andrea Pellegrino vs Tallon Griekspoor
Head-to-head: Griekspoor 1-0
Andrea Pellegrino had to wait almost five years for another ATP Tour win before defeating Jaime Faria on Tuesday. But don’t underestimate the Italian, as he’s a quality operator, and when he catches rhythm, he hits the ball as cleanly as anybody on tour off both wings. Tallon Griekspoor sometimes throws in a random poor performance out of nowhere, but recently, the Dutchman has been pretty clinical. His serve +1 forehand game has been as solid as ever and should be enough here.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 2
Elias Ymer vs Luciano Darderi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Elias Ymer usually looks very competitive against quality opposition during the ATP Tour events in Sweden. But while it wasn’t a surprise to see him take down Tristan Boyer, you have to wonder if Luciano Darderi isn’t out of his range. The Italian enjoyed some bright moments during this clay season, winning his 2nd ATP Tour title in Marrakech and holding up pretty well even on grass. His big serve and heavy topspin forehand might be tough for Ymer to overcome right now.
Prediction: Darderi in 2
Sebastian Baez vs Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
Head-to-head: First meeting
On the one hand, Sebastian Baez has already made three clay-court finals this year. But when the meaningful events on the dirt started, his form completely evaporated. The Argentinian is arriving in Bastad with seven losses in a row, some of them major upsets like the defeat against Rinky Hijikata in Bordeaux. Nicolai Budkov Kjaer is a fantastic prospect, but at just 18 years of age, he’s also somebody Baez could potentially grind down to start rebuilding his confidence.
Prediction: Baez in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
