Master 1000 Madrid - Day 3

Altmaier D. Landaluce M.
Altmaier, currently experiencing a fluctuating period, prefers playing on this slightly faster clay where he can more easily alternate between high, weightless shots and powerful forehand accelerations. He faces the Spanish wildcard Landaluce, who has shown good tennis since Miami and subsequently in Barcelona but is still far from the top 100 levels. Landaluce will undoubtedly rely on his aggressive first serve followed by a strong forehand and hope for some lapses from Altmaier.

Cachin P. Ofner S.
A rematch of last year's first-round match here, which saw Cachin win in three sets. However, this year, the situation is completely different. While Ofner is playing very well and prefers faster surfaces like these where he can unleash his strength early, Cachin is struggling to find his rhythm and is still chasing his first win on clay. Here, he could pose some problems for the Austrian, but I believe Ofner will come out on top.

Darderi L. Monfils G.
Darderi is trying to define his playing style, but sometimes he seeks too many variations unnecessarily, resulting in lost points and giving away many free points. Against an experienced player like Monfils, who not only is strong and experienced but also loves these courts and offers very little on serve, Darderi might struggle. Much will depend on the early stages of the match and especially on the consistency Monfils can offer in response. It could be a hard-fought match, especially in the first set due to the serves of both players, but I believe Monfils will ultimately prevail.

Diaz Acosta F. Shapovalov D.
Here we have a confident player who knows and loves the surface like Diaz Acosta, equipped with excellent variations and a very aggressive forehand. He faces Shapovalov, who not only lacks consistency but also has never particularly liked this surface. With his low service percentages combined with numerous errors, Shapovalov might quickly slip the match into the hands of the Argentine.

Hanfmann Y. Mensik J.
We have two players who are physically quite similar, with Hanfmann being much more experienced and having played more on this surface, where he feels comfortable, especially on the return where he can easily be aggressive. He faces Mensik, born in 2005, making his appearance in such important tournaments. However, considering his powerful style of play and his skillful and controlled one-handed backhand, Mensik could trouble the German.

Karatsev A. Maroszan F.
Karatsev, a Russian player with an unconventional style, often plays with rhythm and continuous variations, causing difficulties for many players. The uncertainty surrounding him, in addition to facing a player in good form, is linked to his physical condition and approach to the match, as he hasn't played since February 1st due to a quad problem that could resurface on these courts, especially with the slides. Maroszan will definitely leverage this difficulty of his opponent, but if Karatsev responds well to these challenges, it could be an interesting match.

Machac T. Ruusuvuori E.
Machac, a young player in continuous growth, has shown to be quite competent on almost all surfaces. He faces Ruusuvuori, a player with a rhythmic style and excellent variations who plays well on surfaces like Madrid's, where he achieved his best results. Machac retired due to a minor arm problem, but in my opinion, more as a precaution. Ruusuvuori has decided not to play on clay for now. There could be a tough match between the two, possibly ending in the third set, favoring the Czech in my opinion.

Michelsen A. Fonseca J.
Michelsen participated in the Munich tournament where all his limitations related to the surface were evident, with too little consistency and a very flat game that absolutely favors his opponent's aggression and subsequent suffering. On the other hand, the Brazilian wonder kid Fonseca is showing excellent growth and comfort on these courts, where he manages to hit very high, weightless shots that disrupt opponents' rhythm, followed by winning forehand accelerations. I see him as the favorite, but beware of the American's serve, which could prolong the match.

Munar J. Borges N.
Both players are very strong on these courts but with different characteristics. Borges is more powerful and aggressive, but he often makes basic errors, especially when coming to the net or attempting to change the game repeatedly. He faces Munar, who relies on relentless defense, weightless shots, and a forehand as heavy as it is worked, following the Nadal school. It could be a hard-fought match, with Munar being my favorite, but beware of underestimating the Portuguese.

Navone M. Popyrin A.
Navone, a classic Argentine player who loves to vary his game, taking weight off the ball to disrupt opponents' rhythm and relying more on consistency and spin rather than strength. He might use many drop shots given his opponent's stature and limited propensity for forward movement. Popyrin will undoubtedly rely on his serve to open up the court and shorten the rallies as much as possible. Given the conditions of the court, it could be an interesting match, especially considering how Navone will handle the fatigue from Bucharest, where he lost only in the final.

Nishioka Y. Auger-Aliassime
Nishioka, a left-handed player not very powerful, has been inactive for a while and has never had a happy relationship with Madrid's clay, preferring slower surfaces like Rome and Paris. He faces Auger-Aliassime, who is very comfortable on the faster Madrid clay and achieved his best results on red clay last year. I don't see much competition here, although it will largely depend on how Auger approaches the match.

O’Connell C. Arnaldi M.
Both players prefer faster surfaces, but Arnaldi found continuity on clay in Barcelona, managing to defeat a specialist like Baez. In this match, O’Connell's deep and incisive backhand pushed towards Arnaldi's one-handed backhand could make a significant difference, especially as it might force the Australian into strenuous defense, which isn't his forte. O’Connell's high service percentage will be crucial in trying to prolong the match, which I believe is destined to lose, and quite decisively.

Safiullin R. Seyboth Wild T.
Safiullin lost to a highly performing Bautista in Barcelona in straight sets but showed that on clay, especially this slightly faster Madrid one, he might have a say, especially with his instant aggression on the opponent's second serves. However, his main problem often is going off-track by exaggerating unnecessary shots. On the other hand, Seyboth is practically playing at home, with a suitable surface for his powerful serve that pushes his opponent far back, as well as for his powerful and deep forehand. However, pay attention to the service percentages; if they drop, it could put him in trouble. I believe it could be a very balanced match, with the victory ultimately going to the one who has more left in the tank.

Zhang Z. Kecmanovic M.
Here we have two players who definitely prefer faster surfaces. Zhang, a powerful player who is nevertheless very athletic, loves to push whenever possible, especially with his forehand and serve. Kecmanovic prefers highly worked trajectories on his serve, followed by a decisive backhand. I also predict a hard-fought match here, heavily dependent on both players' serves to avoid getting stuck in defense.