Basel 2023 Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Taylor Fritz vs Max Purcell | Swiss Indoors

The third day of main draw action at the 2023 Swiss Indoors in Basel will feature six first-round matches on Wednesday. Four seeds and two wildcards - one of whom is also a seed - will be in action.

On Tuesday, the likes of Holger Rune, Hubert Hurkacz, and Dominic Strickler emerged victorious, beating Miomir Kecmanovic, Dusan Lajovic and Benjamin Hassan respectively.

Without further ado, here's a look at how the following four singles matches in Basel on Wednesday could pan out:

#1 Taylor Fritz (Basel third seed) vs Max Purcell

Max Purcell (right)

Third seed Taylor Fritz gets his campaign underway at the Swiss Indoors Basel against unseeded Australian Max Purcell.

World No. 9 Fritz is 52-22 (wins-losses) for the season so far and is coming off a second-round showing in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the 41st-ranked Purcell has won only nine of his 26 matches in 2023.

The two players haven't locked horns before, but expect the more consistent Fritz to prevail.

Pick: Fritz in straight sets

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#2 Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Leandro Riedl

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Sixth seed and wildcard Felix Auger-Aliassime opens his Swiss Indoors Basel campaign against wildcard Leandro Riedl.

World No. 19 Auger-Aliassime is 17-18 (wins-losses) for the season and is coming off a quarterfinal run in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the 162nd-ranked Riedl has won only one of their matches this year. Riedl is only 1-5 overall.

This is another first-time matchup, but the steadier and more experienced Auger-Aliassime should emerge triumphant.

Pick: Auger-Aliassime in straight sets

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#3 Ugo Humbert vs Marcos Giron

Marcos Giron

Ugo Humbert takes on American Marcos Giron in an all-unseeded opening round tussle in the Swiss Indoors special.

World No. 28 Humbert is 25-21 for the season and is coming off a quarterfinal run in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the 57th-ranked Giron has won 24 of his 50 matches in 2023.

Humbert beat Giron in the pair's lone meeting in New York in 2020 and should repeat the trick.

Pick: Humbert in three sets

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#4 Hubert Hurkacz vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Hubert Hurkacz

Fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz takes on the unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff for a place in the Swiss Indoors Basel second round.

World No. 11 Hurkacz is 38-21 for the season and is coming off a first-round loss in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the 27th-ranked Struff has won 17 of his 31 matches in 2023.

Struff has won both his previous meetings - on grass and clay - and should repeat the trick. The German should win again.

Pick: Struff in three sets