Madrid Masters 2023 Day 6: Men's Singles Predictions, ft. Alexander Zverev vs Hugo Grenier

The sixth day of main draw action at the Madrid Masters on Sunday will feature eight third-round matches. Eleven seeds, three qualifiers and a lucky loser will be in action at the Masters 1000 claycourt event.

On Saturday, the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Dusan Lajovic and Jan-Lennard Struff emerged victorious, respectively beating Andrea Vavassori, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton.

Without further ado, here's a look at how the following four third-round matches at the Madrid Masters could pan out on Sunday:

#1 Karen Khachanov vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Tenth seed Karen Khachanov takes on 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain as a place in the fourth round of the Madrid Masters beckons.

World No. 12 Khachanov beat Brazil's Thiago Monteiro in three sets in his opener to improve to 17-8 on the season. Meanwhile, the 25th-ranked Bautista Agut saw off Quentin Halys in the second round for his 11th win in 22 matches this season.

Bautista Agut has won six of his eight meetings with Khachanov, but the Russian's two wins have come on clay. Expect Khachanov to take this one.

Pick: Khachanov in three sets

#2 Alexander Zverev (two-time Madrid Masters winner) vs Hugo Grenier

Thirteenth seed Alexander Zverev locks horns with French qualifier Hugo Grenier for a place in the Madrid Masters fourth round.

The 16th-ranked Zverev is now 11-11 on the season after recovering from a set down to beat Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. Meanwhile, World No. 128 Grenier is 2-1 in 2023 after overcoming Diego Schwartzman and Sebastian Korda in the first two rounds.

This is a first-time matchup, but the two-time champion should see off the Frenchman without much trouble.

Pick: Zverev in straight sets

#3 Jaume Munar vs Matteo Arnaldi

The unseeded Jaume Munar takes on Italian qualifier and giant-killer Matteo Arnaldi for a place in the fourth round of the Madrid Masters.

World No. 88 Munar improved to 8-11 in 2023 by seeing off Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tallon Griekspoor. Meanwhile, the 105th-ranked Arnaldi has seen off fellow qualifier Benoit Paire and third seed Casper Ruud to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Arnaldi took down Munar in their lone meeting at Barcelona last week and could repeat the trick again.

Pick: Arnaldi in three sets

#4 Daniel Altmaier vs Yannick Hanfmann

Lucky loser Daniel Altmaier takes on qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in an unlikely all-German third-round clash at the Madrid Masters.

The 92nd-ranked Altmaier is 2-8 on the season after seeing off fellow German Oscar Otte in his opener. Meanwhile, World No. 108 Hanfmann beat Juan Pablo Varillas and 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti to improve to 8-5 in 2023.

The two Germans haven't clashed before, but expect the in-form Hanfmann to continue his winning run in the Spanish capital.

Pick: Hanfmann in straight sets

About the author

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.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Nihal