Canadian Open Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Daniil Medvedev vs Nick Kyrgios and Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul
Day 3 of the Canadian Open will see some big names compete in the men's singles tournament. Top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with the in-form Nick Kyrgios in what promises to be a highly entertaining match.
Carlos Alcaraz will also start his campaign in Montreal against Tommy Paul. Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Jack Draper while Casper Ruud will be up against Alex Molcan. The likes of Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz will also be in action on Wednesday.
With some high-octane tennis in store for us, let’s take a look at the predictions for some of the big matches that will take place on Day 3 of the Canadian Open:
#1 Daniil Medvedev vs Nick Kyrgios
Daniil Medvedev vs Nick Kyrgios will arguably be the most anticipated clash of Day 3 of the Canadian Open. This will be the fourth meeting between the two, with Kyrgios currently leading 2-1 in the head-to-head.
The Australian has been in brilliant form lately as he reached the Wimbledon final and won the Citi Open after that. However, Medvedev plays his best tennis on hard court and recently won his first title of the year at the Los Cabos Open. The Russian's defensive skills and return game will be the perfect foil for Kyrgios' pyrotechnics.
The match will be a tightly contested one and Medvedev should be able to come out on top and reach the last 16.
Nick Kyrgios beats Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4 to reach the 2nd round in Montreal.
7 consecutive wins in singles (14 overall)
12 wins in his last 13 singles matches
Next? The #1 Daniil Medvedev.
[getty] https://t.co/iJIvvNW1XV
Predicted Winner: Daniil Medvedev
#2 Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz will start off his campaign at the Canadian Open against Tommy Paul. The Spaniard will face the American for the very first time and will enter the match as the favorite to win, given his incredible run of form this season.
Paul has beaten the likes of Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in 2022 but he can't be written off. However, coping with Alcaraz's aggression and immaculate drop shots will be very difficult for the American.
Tommy Paul beats Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 and he will be the first player to face Carlos Alcaraz on hardcourts since the Miami final.
The World No. 4 is among the favorites to win the Canadian Open and should be able to beat Paul and reach the last 16.
Predicted winner: Carlos Alcaraz
#3 Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe
This all-American clash between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe promises to be an exciting one. The former leads 3-1 in the head-to-head but the latter has the capability to trouble him.
Fritz has produced some impressive performances this season and did well to defeat Andy Murray in the first round. The World No. 13 will be keen to enter the top 10 of the ATP rankings and a good run at the Canadian Open will help his cause.
Tiafoe reached the semifinals and the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Open and Citi Open, respectively. While he endured a lot of trouble against Benjamin Bonzi in the first round in Montreal, he can put up a tough fight against Fritz.
However, given the Indian Wells champion's current form, it's hard to see him lose this one.
Predicted winner: Taylor Fritz
#4 Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Felix Auger-Aliassime will face Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round of the Canadian Open. The World No. 9 is the favorite to win and will also have the crowd on his side. However, Nishioka will be in good spirits after reaching the final of the Citi Open and cannot be taken lightly.
The Japanese has a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head against Auger-Aliassime and will no doubt give him a tough fight. However, the Canadian should be able to get the better of Nishioka and seal his place in the last 16.
Predicted winner: Felix Auger-Aliassime
#5 Andrey Rublev vs Dan Evans
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev will start his campaign at the Canadian Open against Dan Evans, who fought off Filip Krajinovic in the opening round. The Russian, who has a 3-2 edge in the head-to-head against Evans, has beaten the World No. 39 twice already this season and will be the favorite to beat him in Montreal again.
Rublev suffered a semifinal defeat at the Citi Open and will be eager to do well in Canada. On his day, Evans can be dangerous to beat but given his inconsistency this season, along with the Russian's better form, the latter should be able to reach the last 16 of the Canadian Open.
Predicted winner: Andrey Rublev
#6 Jannik Sinner vs Adrian Mannarino
Seventh seed Jannik Sinner will face Adrian Mannarino for the second time in his career when the two lock horns at the Canadian Open. The Italian beat him the last time the two crossed swords, at Sofia in 2020.
The 20-year-old has been in pretty good form this season and recently won his first title of the year at the Croatia Open Umag by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Mannarino has not been particularly impressive this season but has been able to defeat a few higher-ranked players like Alex de Minaur and Hubert Hurkacz. Given Sinner's current form, he should not have much trouble beating the Frenchman.
Predicted winner: Jannik Sinner
#7 Casper Ruud vs Alex Molcan
Fourth seed Casper Ruud will face Alex Molcan in the second round of the Canadian Open. The Norwegian reached the quarterfinals of this Masters 1000 tournament last season and will be keen to have a good run in 2022 as well.
Ruud beat Molcan at the BMW Championships in Munich this season but was given a tough fight by the Slovak. Considering the World No. 7's consistency, he should be able to win the match and reach the last 16 of the Canadian Open.
Predicted winner: Casper Ruud
#8 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jack Draper
Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Jack Draper in the second round of the Canadian Open. The Greek will look to do well at the Masters 1000 tournament following his third-round exit at Wimbledon.
Draper reached the second round in Montreal by notching up a couple of wins in qualifying and then knocking out Hugo Gaston in the first round. The 20-year-old Brit played a lot on the ATP Challenger tour this season but has had some decent results on the ATP tour, most notably reaching the semifinals of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.
However, Tsitsipas will be too much for him to handle and the Greek should have little trouble beating him in what will be the pair's first-ever showdown.
Predicted winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas