Madrid Open 2024 Day 6: Singles predictions ft. Caroline Garcia vs Jasmine Paolini

Players will take to the court for their third-round matches on Day 6 of the 2024 Madrid Open.

Rafael Nadal booked his place in the third round courtesy of a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win over 10th seed Alex de Minaur. The Spaniard was shown the door by his younger rival a week ago at the Barcelona Open. He'll next take on Pedro Cachin, who beat Frances Tiafoe, in the third round on Sunday.

Top seeds Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner both crushed their opponents to advance further. The former beat Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-1, while the latter defeated Lorenzo Sonego 6-0, 6-3.

Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka will be in action on Sunday, along with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Elena Rybakina, and Holger Rune.

With a place in the second week on the line, players are only going to raise their level going forward. Here's a look at the predictions for some of the singles matches in store on Day 6 of the Madrid Open:

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#1 Caroline Garcia vs Jasmine Paolini

Garcia commenced her Madrid Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Wang Xinyu, while Paolini handed Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva a 6-0, 6-1 beatdown. The two have crossed paths six times prior to this and the rivalry leans 5-1 in the Frenchwoman's favor.

Garcia won their first four matches in straight sets, after which Paolini finally nabbed her first win in this rivalry. The former won their most recent encounter at this year's United Cup in straight sets.

Paolini has transformed into a different player since that loss. She won her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai and cracked the top 15 of the rankings. She has 10 wins at the WTA 1000 level this year, which is twice as many as Garcia. The Italian's superior form should see her through this round.

Predicted winner: Jasmine Paolini

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#2 Ugo Humbert vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Jan-Lennard Struff was the runner-up at last year's Madrid Open.

Struff captured his maiden ATP title at last week's BMW Open with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz in the final. He continued his winning ways at the Madrid Open as he defeated Jaume Munar 6-1, 7-5 to begin his campaign.

Struff was a finalist at the venue a year ago. He put up a fight against Carlos Alcaraz but lost to him in three sets.

Humbert, meanwhile, handed Botic van de Zandschulp a 6-3, 6-3 loss in the previous round. It marked his maiden win at the venue after three prior first-round exits. It was also his 13th career win on clay.

Struff won his only prior match against Humbert at the 2022 Sofia Open in straight sets. The German is more adept at playing on clay and is riding a wave of momentum at present. He'll be favored over the Frenchman to make it to the next round.

Predicted winner: Jan-Lennard Struff

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#3 Yulia Putintseva vs Caroline Dolehide

Putintseva dispatched Yuan Yue in the first round here, and led Zheng Qinwen 7-5, 2-0 when the latter retired due to an injury. She has now reached the third round in Madrid for the second time in her career.

Dolehide's debut at the Madrid Open has gone well so far. She knocked out Zhuoxuan Bai in straight sets and then rallied from a set down to beat 30th seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3.

This will be the first career meeting between the two. Putintseva is the more experienced player at the WTA level, and on clay as well. Dolehide has the game to put up a fight but the Kazakh should be able to survive the challenge to advance further.

Predicted winner: Yulia Putintseva

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#4 Sara Bejlek vs Ashlyn Krueger

Sara Bejlek at the 2024 Madrid Open.

Bejlek came through the qualifying rounds of the Madrid Open to secure her place in the main draw, making it her WTA 1000 debut as well. She staged a comeback to defeat Anna Blinkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.

The Czech teen then scored a 6-1, 6-4 upset win over 24th seed Anna Kalinskaya to notch up the best result of her career so far. Krueger has been equally impressive in the Spanish capital.

Krueger knocked out Nao Hibino in her opener and then eliminated 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. She didn't drop her serve even once in the previous round.

This is a great opportunity for both players to make a deep run at a big tournament. Krueger is the more experienced player in this match-up, which could eventually sway the tide in her favor and push her to a win.

Predicted winner: Ashlyn Krueger