ATP Brisbane Day 3 Predictions Including Yannick Hanfmann vs Sebastian Korda

Day 3 at the ATP 250 in Brisbane will see two all-Aussie matches in the first round of this event. The return of former World #1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will also be on the menu, but in this article we look at the other players who’ll be looking to extend and enjoy their stay Down Under.

ATP Brisbane Day 3 Predictions

Aslan Karatsev vs Jason Kubler

Head–to–Head: Karatsev 0 – 1 Kubler

Aslan Karatsev loves the Australian swing. It was here, that he had an amazing run to the semifinals of the Australian Open as a qualifier in 2021 before securing his third ATP title on the Olympic courts of the Sydney International. Despite dropping out of the top 100 due to his inconsistent form, he managed to end last season on a strong note,  climbing back into the top half of the rankings.

Jason Kubler is one of those players who can upend a favorite. Despite being Brisbanian, he has only participated in this event just once and was bundled out in the first round. He struggled to maintain form for much of last season and his season abruptly ended during the US Open due to injuries.

The Russian is undoubtedly the better player and regardless of what the Aussie and his home fans throw at him, he will win this match if he wants to.
Prediction: Karatsev in 2

Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Rinky Hijikata

Head–to–Head: First meeting

The second all-Aussie draw will be between two players who surprisingly haven’t faced each other once. Thanasi Kokkinakis’s immense talent has been overshadowed by fitness and injury concerns but he has a positive 6-3 record here in Brisbane.

Rinky Hijikata managed to sustain his progress from his 2022 breakthrough season last year and his performances have earned him participation in main draw events on tour. He went past the first round of 7 of the 11 main draw events he played in last year and he’ll be looking to begin this season on the same note

Kokkinakis is the better and more experienced player, however, Hijikata is also capable of winning this. This is the first meeting between both players and they’ll expectedly throw everything at it. I think experience will eventually prevail.
Prediction: Kokkinakis in 3

Alex Michelsen vs Ugo Humbert

Head–to–Head: First Meeting

Alex Michelsen broke into the top 100 last season and will be looking to solidify his performance to remain in that bracket this year. He’s started well in Brisbane with two short, straight-set victories in the qualifiers and he enters the main draw for the first time here in Brisbane.

Ugo Humbert had thebest season of his career last year, ending it as a top 20 player and fully establishing himself as one to look out for this season.

He finished last season on a high, defeating Alexander Shevchenko to win his home tournament in Metz to add to his Challenger titles in Cagliari and Bordeaux.

As much as the young American will show plenty of exuberance to keep this close, the French man will have too much in his left-handed firepower to douse it.
Prediction: Humbert in 2

Yannick Hanfmann vs Sebastian Korda

Head–to–Head: First Meeting

Sebastian Korda set the Australian swing alight this time last year with some top-notch tennis only to encounter fitness issues that almost extinguished his entire season.  Despite his problems, he was able to win 22 out of the 33 matches he played on hardcourts including playing in four consecutive semi-finals to still loiter around the top 20 rankings.

Yannick Hanfmann had an indelible 2023 taking the scalp of three Top 10 players on his way to a very satisfactory season for him. It was on clay he shone, especially at the Rome Masters where he defeated Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev en route to the quarterfinal before falling to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.

The German doesn’t feel too comfortable on hard courts and it will be surprising if he manages to win one set against a fit Sebastian Korda on hardcourts.
Prediction: Korda in 2