Andrey Rublev vs Rinky Hijikata Prediction, ATP Hangzhou Day 3 Betting Tips

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Round two at ATP Hangzhou and the draw is starting to clarify itself nicely. You have a qualifier still running hot after coming through the bottom of the draw, a couple of the tour’s most watchable young talents looking to keep building on what has been a fine season for both of them, and the second seed stepping onto court for the first time in the tournament. The Asian swing always throws up a few surprises but by this stage the margins are tighter and the pressure is properly on.

Kyrian Jacquet vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry

These two have never played before so there is no head to head history to lean on. Jacquet has genuinely impressed me this week. The Frenchman had to dig in and scrap through three sets against Vukic and came out the other side looking like someone who believes he belongs here. His ball striking is clean, he takes the game to his opponents rather than waiting, and he has handled the pressure moments well. He is building nicely and a win here would put him on the map.

That said, Etcheverry is a proper test. The third seed arrives fresh on a bye, which matters a great deal when you consider how much Jacquet has already put into this week physically. The Argentine has heavier groundstrokes, a more dependable serve, and has been in these situations enough times to know how to manage them. Jacquet will make it competitive and he will not simply fold, but Etcheverry has the kind of weight in his shots that tends to wear opponents down over the course of a match.

Fabian Marozsan vs Taro Daniel

Taro Daniel has been superb this week and deserves enormous credit. The Japanese veteran came through qualifying and has kept winning, using his flat groundstrokes and his ability to disrupt the rhythm of whoever stands across the net from him. He clearly feels comfortable in these conditions and has been the kind of awkward opponent that nobody in the draw would have wanted to face. Four matches in the bank is a serious effort.

Marozsan is a different proposition though. The sixth seed has been producing some of the best tennis of his season here, combining genuine power with that deceptive drop shot that can completely wrong foot opponents when the timing is right. He enters this match considerably fresher than Daniel, and that accumulated fatigue from qualifying and multiple rounds could be a real factor late in the match. Marozsan can turn defence into attack in a heartbeat, and against a tiring opponent that is a significant weapon.

Jaime Faria vs Hugo Gaston

Faria is developing exactly the attribute that separates good players from great ones, which is the ability to win when you are not at your sharpest. His first round against Atmane was not a stroll and he had to work hard for every point down the stretch. Those sorts of victories do more for a young player’s confidence than any comfortable straight sets win. He arrives here with momentum and growing belief in his own game.

Gaston is one of the most genuinely entertaining players to watch on the whole tour. His touch, his creativity and his willingness to improvise can make a match feel unlike anything you have seen before. The problem is sustaining that level across the full duration of a physical contest. Faria has the consistency and the fitness to keep pushing the ball back and force Gaston to keep producing at his peak. When the Frenchman drops below that level, Faria will be there to take advantage. The Portuguese lad’s greater solidity should see him through.

Andrey Rublev vs Rinky Hijikata

Rublev has not put together the kind of consistent season he would have wanted but Hangzhou feels like a tournament where he can genuinely do some damage. The second seed is a different animal on quicker hard courts where his flat groundstrokes arrive so fast that opponents simply do not have time to set up properly. When he finds his timing and starts dictating from the baseline, there are very few players who can live with the pace he generates.

Hijikata is not a pushover and should not be treated as one. The Australian is quick around the court, reads the game well and has a return game that can rattle big hitters out of their comfort zone. His competitiveness means he will not drift through this quietly. The real question is whether he can absorb Rublev’s pace for long enough to create genuine chances of his own, and I suspect that once Rublev settles and finds his range the difference in sheer firepower will become too much to overcome.

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