Citi Open 2023 Day 4: Men's singles predictions ft. Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Day 4 of the Citi Open will be held on August 3, 2023, with the third round of the men's singles tournament taking place.
Top seed Taylor Fritz and 15th seed Andy Murray will lock horns in one of the most anticipated matches of the day while Gael Monfils will face 12th seed Tallon Griekspoor.
The likes of Grigor Dimitrov, Christopher Eubanks and Frances Tiafoe will also be in action and will aim to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the matches that will take place on Day 4 of the Citi Open.
#1 Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov will face Emil Ruusuvuori in the third round of the Citi Open. It will be the third meeting between the two, with the Bulgarian winning both of their prior encounters.
Dimitrov booked his place in the Round of 16 of the ATP 500 event by beating Mackenzie McDonald 7-6(6), 6-2 while Ruusuvuori had to come back from a set down to beat last year's runner-up Yoshihito Nishioka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2.
Dimitrov has won 24 out of 37 matches so far this season, compared to his Finnish opponent's 21-19 record. The 32-year-old will enter the match as the favorite to win and while Ruusuvuori can pose a threat, he should be able to come out on top even if it is by narrow margins.
Predicted Winner: Grigor Dimitrov
#2 Michael Mmoh vs JJ Wolf
Sixteenth seed JJ Wolf will be up against Michael Mmoh in the third round of the Citi Open. It will be the second meeting between the two in the main draw of the ATP tour, with the former beating his compatriot 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the Australian Open.
Wolf booked his place in the Round of 16 of the Citi Open by beating Radu Albot 6-1, 6-3 while Mmoh had to grind out a shock 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) win against fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz. The 24-year-old has won 21 out of 37 matches so far this season while Mmoh has triumphed in nine out of 16 fixtures.
Wolf came out on top the last time the two faced off and while he may not have it easy this time, he should still be able to manage the win and reach the quarterfinals of the Citi Open.
Predicted Winner: JJ Wolf
#3 Dan Evans vs Alexander Shevchenko
Ninth seed Dan Evans will face Alexander Shevchenko in the third round of the Citi Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Both players came back from a set down to win their respective second-round matches in Washington, with Evans beating Gregoire Barrere 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 while Shevchenko triumphed 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 over eighth seed Sebastian Korda.
The Brit has endured a disappointing 2023 season so far, with only nine wins out of 27 matches while Shevchenko has won eight in 16 appearances. The American has a higher win percentage this year but Evans' experience might just be enough to take him through to the quarterfinals in Washington.
Predicted Winner: Dan Evans
#4 Ugo Humbert vs Yosuke Watanuki
Thirteenth seed Ugo Humbert will face Yosuke Watanuki in the third round of the Citi Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Humbert beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-4 in the second round while Watanuki defeated third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10), 7-6(3). The Frenchman has won 15 out of 30 matches so far this season while the Japanese came out on top in seven out of 13 fixtures.
Humbert's recent performances have been promising and he should be able to beat Watanuki to reach the quarterfinals of the Citi Open.
Predicted: Ugo Humbert