US Open Day 3 Men's Predictions, Including Shelton vs Bautista Agut

The second round begins on day three of the US Open and there are 16 men's matches scheduled for Wednesday. As always, our writers here at LWOT will share their thoughts on each match. We've split the 16 matches into four articles. Besides this article, our other articles cover Novak Djokovic vs. Laslo Djere, Taylor Fritz vs. Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud vs. Gael Monfils. Wednesday's matches are predicted by Ateet Shrivastava, Damian Kust and Jim Smith. Who do you think will reach Round 3?

US Open Day 3 – Men's Predictions

Miomir Kecmanovic against Lorenzo Musetti

Eat:
Musetti is slowly becoming a great player against strong servers thanks to his versatility on returns. Kecmanovic had a lot of problems against Nishioka and was probably lucky that the Japanese player got injured and had to retire. Kecmanovic can take on Musetti when he's on form, but he hasn't won consecutive matches since Wimbledon. I'd back the Italian in a close match.
Prediction: Musetti in 5

Damian:
Musetti's improvements on grass and clay don't mean much for the rest of the season, but he blocked his returns against Opelka very well in the first round. This is a different matchup and the Italian will have to create the game a bit more here. It seems like he could find a way with his current form.
Prediction: Musetti in 4

Jim:
It's been a great summer for Lorenzo Musetti. Now that fall is approaching, it will be interesting to see how motivated he is – especially since the players against him will be even more motivated. But this looks like a good matchup against a player with largely similar skills but fewer weapons.
Prediction: Musetti in 3

Ugo Humbert vs. Francisco Comesana

Eat:
Francisco Comesana has made a habit of boxing above his means in Grand Slams. As an underdog, he beat Dominic Stricker in four sets. His first serve was very effective and he will need that against Humbert. The Frenchman beat Thiago Monteiro easily and looked dangerous. These are great conditions for Humbert and it would be a surprise if he lost this match.
Prediction: Humbert in 4

Damian:
Humbert wasted no time in defeating Monteiro in the first round and remains a little under the radar. While Comesana's game is not completely useless on hard courts, he will still be a long way from reaching a level that would allow him to compete with such players on a regular basis. The Frenchman will not have too much trouble here.
Prediction: Humbert in 3

Jim:
Francisco Comesana put in a very solid performance in the first round, but this is a different kind of test for the 23-year-old Argentinian. Ugo Humbert's game is in very good form and this should be a fairly comfortable outing for the 17th seed.
Prediction: Humbert in 3

Embed from Getty Images

Alexei Popyrin vs Pedro Martinez

Eat:
Popyrin is in the form of his life and has a favorable draw in the second round. Pedro Martinez is a solid player, but hard courts are not his best surface. The winner of this match will face Novak Djokovic in the third round, and it will most likely be the Australian. Martinez has a 2-0 winning record in this matchup, but Popyrin has improved significantly since their last meeting.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4

Damian:
Popyrin just won the title in Montreal and while it's unlikely that he'll suddenly be fighting for major titles on a regular basis, that confidence could still influence him at least to some extent. Martinez had such a long and physical fight in the first round that his chances are slim against someone he's probably better than on hard courts anyway.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4

Jim:
Alexei Popyrin is not the type of player to go far week in week out, but it will be interesting to see if he continues after his triumph in Montreal. But this game probably won't be the best test of that. Pedro Martinez is a very good competitor and will have Popyrin fighting for points, but he just doesn't have the weapons to really fight back.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4

Ben Shelton vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Eat:
Ben Shelton was undeterred by the fact that it was Dominic Thiem's ​​last Grand Slam match and played a solid match, winning in straight sets. He will have the upper hand against a less than perfect Roberto Bautista Agut, who has struggled to win two matches in a row. Shelton has already beaten the Spaniard at the Australian Open this year.
Prediction: Shelton in 4

Damian:
It won't be easy for Shelton to repeat his 2023 run at this year's US Open, and he will have to be on his guard as his returns and baseline play tend to have slim margins at the moment. He is the favorite here, but you know a crafty veteran like Bautista Agut will do everything in his power to potentially stop him.
Prediction: Shelton in 4

Jim:
Ben Shelton is under pressure in New York this year after a mediocre season so far and a lot of points to defend. Will he be up to the challenge? That remains to be seen. This match should give an indication of how his game and mindset are. Roberto Bautista Agut is not the player he used to be, but he remains a smart opponent and will try to make things difficult for the American. But at his best, Shelton can take the racket out of his opponent's hands.
Prediction: Shelton in 4

Photo credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports