Chengdu Championships 2023 Day 3 Men's Singles predictions ft. Alexander Bublik vs Marcos Giron

The third day of the 2023 Chengdu Championships on Thursday will feature nine first-round matches. Three seeds, four qualifiers and two wildcards will be in action at the ATP 250 hardcourt event.

On Wednesday, the likes of Taro Daniel and Roman Saifulin emerged victorious, respectively, beating Aleksandar Vukic and Brandon Nakashima. There were also four qualifying matches on the day.

Without further ado, here's a look at how the following four singles matches at the Chengdu Championships on Thursday could pan out:

#1 Alexander Bublik vs Marcos Giron

Fifth seed Alexander Bublik opens his campaign at the Chengdu Championships against unseeded American Marcos Giron.

World No. 29 Bublik is 16-23 on the season and is riding a four-match losing streak. The Kazakh made the final in Chengdu in 2019, where he owns a 4-1 record. Meanwhile, the 64th-ranked Giron is 18-22 in 2023 and making his Chengdu debut.

Giron has won two of his three meetings with Bublik since losing their only hardcourt clash in their first showdown. Expect the American to take this one.

Pick: Giron in three sets

#2 Emil Ruusuvuori vs Arthur Rinderknech

Emil Ruusuvuori takes on Arthur Rinderknech in an all-unseeded first-round clash at the Chengdu Championships.

World No. 57 Ruusuvuori is 25-23 on the season. Meanwhile, the 67th-ranked Rinderknech is 11-18 in 2023 and made the US Open third round. Both players are making their Chengdu debut.

This is a first-time meeting, but expect Rinderknech to take the win.

Pick: Rinderknech in three sets

#3 Max Purcell vs Jordan Thompson

Sixth seed Max Purcell will lock horns with compatriot Jordan Thompson in an all-Australian first-round clash at the Chengdu Championships.

The 43rd-ranked Purcell is only 9-14 in 2023 and has lost his last three matches. Meanwhile, World No. 56 Thompson is 16-18 on the season and has lost his last two matches. Both Australians are making their Chengdu debut.

Purcell has won both his meetings with Thompson - including their last clash in the Roland Garros first round this year - and should win again.

Pick: Purcell in straight sets

#4 Miomir Kecmanovic vs Benjamin Lock

Seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic opens his campaign at the Chengdu Championships against Zimbabwean qualifier Benjamin Lock.

The 47th-ranked Kecmanovic is 20-24 in 2023 and has lost his last three matches. Meanwhile, World No. 346 Lock lost his only ATP Tour match of the season. Both players are making their debut in Chengdu.

This is another first-time meeting, but expect the more experienced Kecmanovic to prevail.

Pick: Kecmanovic in straight sets

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

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Edited by Ankush Das