No. 1 seed and 2021 champion Alexander Zverev remains one of the favorites to pick up the ATP 500 title in Vienna this week. After a quick opening-round win over Joel Schwaerzler, he’s facing last week’s Antwerp semifinalist Marcos Giron. Can the German extend his head-to-head lead over this opponent to 3-0? Who do you think will win? We also offer predictions for the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.

ATP Vienna Day 3 Predictions

Tommy Paul vs Brandon Nakashima

Head-to-head: Nakashima 3-1

Beating Top 20 Americans has been a Brandon Nakashima specialty of late–Tommy Paul in Montreal, Taylor Fritz in Cincinnati, Frances Tiafoe in Tokyo. But the 23-year-old is showing some signs of fatigue after a very demanding season that had him rebuild his form and ranking through many deep runs on the Challenger circuit. As such, this could be a good opportunity for the Stockholm champion from last week to beat him for the first time since 2019. He needs plenty of wins if he is to challenge for an ATP Finals spot.
Prediction: Paul in 2

Tomas Machac vs Fabian Marozsan

Head-to-head: First meeting

Tomas Machac was one of the best performers of the Asian Swing, making two semifinals and beating Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai. Following that up in Almaty wasn’t possible due to illness and it’s unclear how many days of quality practicing he was able to fit in before coming to Vienna. But the reality is Fabian Marozsan’s form right now is completely off. The Hungarian doesn’t need to be in rhythm to produce upsets with how early he takes the ball, but this particular opponent shouldn’t be scared of rallies played at extremely fast pace.
Prediction: Machac in 3

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Alexander Zverev vs Marcos Giron

Head-to-head: Zverev 2-0

Alexander Zverev has already picked up 60 wins this season and will be attempting to contend for the year-end World No. 2 spot with Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard isn’t playing this week, so Vienna is a huge opportunity for the 2021 champion. His first-round match against Joel Schwaerzler was just the warm-up, now he’s facing the in-form Marcos Giron. With his high-floor game, he should be pretty well equipped to handle the American’s style. In fact, their last two matches weren’t all that competitive either.
Prediction: Zverev in 2

Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images