Atlanta Open 2023 Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Christopher Eubanks vs Brandon Nakashima
Day 3 of the Atlanta Open will see four Round of 16 matches at the singles tournament take place.
Second seed Alex de Minaur will start his title defense against compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis while fifth seed Christopher Eubanks will be up against Brandon Nakashima.
Fourth seed Yoshihito Nishioka will lock horns with Aleksandar Vukic while seventh seed Ugo Humbert will be up against Lloyd Harris.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for the matches that will take place on Day 3 of the Atlanta Open.
#1. Christopher Eubanks vs Brandon Nakashima
Fifth seed Christopher Eubanks will face Brandon Nakashima in the second round of the Atlanta Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two in a main-draw match on the ATP Tour.
Both players won their opening-round fixtures in Atlanta in straight sets, with Eubanks beating Andres Martin 6-2, 6-4 while Nakashika triumphed 6-3, 7-6(5) over Max Purcell.
Eubanks is coming off an impressive grass-court season that saw him reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. Nakashima, on the other hand, has won only eight out of 20 matches so far in 2023.
Christopher Eubanks will enter the match as the favorite to win and should be able to come out on top to book his place in the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Open.
Predicted Winner: Christopher Eubanks
#2. Alex de Minaur vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Second seed and defending champion Alex de Minaur will take on Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Atlanta Open. It will be the very first encounter between the two Aussies on the ATP Tour.
De Minaur received a walkover to the Round of 16 at the ATP 250 event by virtue of being one of the top four seeds while Kokkinakis had to grind out a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) win over Gael Monfils.
The World No. 17 has won 22 out of 36 matches so far this season while Kokkinakis has triumphed in 11 out of 20 fixtures. While the latter should not be written off, De Minaur's relatively better form should be enough to see him through to the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Open.
Predicted Winner: Alex de Minaur
#3. Lloyd Harris vs Ugo Humbert
Seventh seed Ugo Humbert will face Lloyd Harris in the second round of the Atlanta Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with the Frenchman winning their previous encounter 6-3, 7-6(2) in Antwerp in 2020.
Both players came back from a set down to win their respective opening-round fixtures, with Humbert beating compatriot Constant Lestienne 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 while Harris triumphed 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 over James Duckworth.
The Frenchman will be heavily favored to win the match and should be able to do so.
Predicted Winner: Ugo Humbert
#4. Aleksandar Vukic vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Fourth seed Yoshihito Nishioka will face Aleksandar Vukic in the second round of the Atlanta Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Nishioka received a walkover to the second round of the tournament by virtue of being one of the top four seeds while Vukic beat Ethan Quinn 7-6(5), 6-3 in the first round.
The Japanese has won 13 out of 24 matches so far this season while the Aussie has triumphed in only four out of 12 fixtures. Nishioka hasn't had the best of seasons but he looks in better touch compared to Vukic and that should be enough to take him through to the quarterfinals.
Predicted Winner: Yoshihito NIshioka