Toronto R3 previews and predictions: Shapovalov vs. Haase, Isner vs. Khachanov

An unseeded player will be in the Toronto quarterfinals after Denis Shapovalov and Robin Haase conclude their match on Thursday. The third-round schedule also includes an encounter between John Isner and Karen Khachanov.

Robin Haase vs. Denis Shapovalov

It will be a battle between two surprising semifinalists from last summer’s Rogers Cup when Shapovalov and Haase square off during third-round action on Thursday. Their only previous meeting came this spring on the red clay of Rome, where Shapovalov scored a 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3 victory. This time of year–and specifically this tournament–has to be the Canadian’s favorite, as he made an incredible run last season in Montreal and maintained that momentum into the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Shapovalov, whose 2017 Rogers Cup included an upset of Rafael Nadal in a third-set tiebreaker, has advanced this week with straight-set wins over Jeremy Chardy and Los Cabos champion Fabio Fognini.

Haase was dealt a tough draw, but he beat Kei Nishikori 7-5, 6-1 and then faced lucky loser Mikhail Youzhny instead of world No. 4 Juan Martin Del Potro (he eased past Youzhny 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon). The 39th-ranked Dutchman is a decent 20-22 for his 2018 campaign and had been on a three-match losing streak prior to arriving in Toronto. With the home crowd once again behind him, an inspired and confident Shapovalov should be able to keep on trucking into the quarterfinals.

Pick: Shapovalov in 2

[polldaddy poll=10075860]

Karen Khachanov vs. (8) John Isner

This is also Isner’s favorite time of year, as he consistently plays his best tennis on North American hard courts. The world No. 9 fared well at Wimbledon for the first time in his career with a memorable semifinal performance, but hard courts and hot, humid conditions are generally best for his game. Isner was up to his usual tricks in Atlanta with his fifth title at that tournament two weeks ago, and he should be well-rested after losing right away in Washington, D.C. The 6’10” American appeared to get back on track with a 7-6(3), 6-2 defeat of Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Wednesday afternoon Toronto.

Up next for Inser with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake is a second career contest against Khachanov, who got the job done 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(3) at the 2017 French Open. The 22-year-old Russian has been solid but unspectacular in 2018 and he will need a big result in either Toronto or Cincinnati to move up from his No. 38 ranking and snag a seed for the U.S. Open. He has made a good start to that effort this week, with straight-set wins over Filip Krajinovic and Pablo Carreno Busta. But Isner–given his current hot streak–represents a considerable step up in competition and in these conditions his serve-forehand combination will likely be too much for Khachanov.

Pick: Isner in 3

[polldaddy poll=10075859]