Tennis Acca tips: Jan-Lennard Struff to snuff out British qualifier

It has been a week of upsets already in both Metz and Sofia, and there have been some rollercoaster matches to boot.

Both tournaments hit the last 16 stage on Wednesday as we get one step closer to the end of the European indoor swing and the culmination of the 2023 season.

Here, we make our picks from some of the matches on the slate for Wednesday.

ATP Metz: Stan Wawrinka vs Luca Van Assche | Pick: Wawrinka

ATP Metz: Alexander Bublik vs Fabio Fognini | Pick: Bublik

ATP Metz: Máté Valkusz vs Alexander Shevchenko | Pick: Shevchenko

ATP Metz: Abedallah Shelbayh vs Lorenzo Sonego | Pick: Sonego

ATP Sofia: Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Adrian Mannarino | Pick: Mannarino

ATP Sofia: Sebastian Ofner vs Christopher O'Connell | Pick: Ofner

ATP Sofia: Fábián Marozsán vs Roberto Bautista Agut | Pick: Marozsán

ATP Sofia: Jan-Lennard Struff vs Billy Harris | Pick: Struff

ATP Metz: Stan Wawrinka vs Luca Van Assche

Stan Wawrinka will be out to ward off another upset from French prospect Luca Van Assche.

Wawrinka breezed into the last 16 with a straight-sets win and didn't look like the oldest man in the top 50.

Van Assche had to battle through three sets to upset dangerous Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

Wawrinka should have this task in hand on evidence of his first-round form.

ATP Metz: Alexander Bublik vs Fabio Fognini

If Alexander Bublik is on song, even the best in the game would struggle to handle him, and he would love to finish this season with another title.

Fabio Fognini looks less likely to make a deep run, although he was able to overcome Thiago Seyboth Wild in a pair of tiebreaks and is a cunning campaigner.

Bublik had a bye through the first round, but it remains to be seen if that will count against him, as he hasn't played since his third-round loss in Paris.

This will be the first meeting between Fognini and Bublik, and that could be something to the fifth seed's advantage.

ATP Metz: Máté Valkusz vs Alexander Shevchenko

Máté Valkusz has met Alexander Shevchenko twice in the past, albeit at the ITF tournament level.

Incidentally, both of those meetings came in Antalya and came two years apart, with Valkusz winning in 2019 and Shevchenko in 2021.

Shevchenko's career appears to have taken off a little more than Valkusz, but the Hungarian eliminated the world No 54 in the first round and cannot be taken lightly.

 Shevchenko has experience against this opponent and the forewarning that he is looking in good touch, which should allow him to plot a path to the quarter-finals.

ATP Metz: Abedallah Shelbayh vs Lorenzo Sonego

Jordan's Abedallah Shelbayh pulled off a huge upset in the previous round and is out to deliver another against an ATP Tour veteran.

Shelbayh beat Hugo Gaston in the opening round but can expect a step up from Sonego, who dealt with Marcos Giron in a tough three-setter.

This will be the first time these players have met at any level.

Shelbayh has the incentive of a first ATP Tour quarter-final looming large, but Sonego should be able to put down the youngster.

ATP Sofia: Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Adrian Mannarino

Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas is the first opponent for French second seed Adrian Mannarino in Sofia.

Ramos-Vinolas and Mannarino will write the 12th chapter of their storied rivalry at all levels and their 10th full ATP Tour meeting.

In full tour meetings, Ramos-Vinolas holds a 5-4 lead over Mannarino, while the Spaniard also beat Mannarino on the Challenger Tour.

Mannarino won the very first meeting between these players on the Futures Tour and would love to level things up in Sofia.

ATP Sofia: Sebastian Ofner vs Christopher O'Connell

Sebastian Ofner beat Christopher O'Connell in their only previous full ATP Tour clash.

However, the Austrian did retire from his qualifying match against O'Connell ahead of the 2021 Atlanta Open.

O'Connell had to win a decisive tiebreak to defeat his first-round opponent and could be over-extended.

Ofner beat Vitaliy Sachko in the first round and showed enough to suggest he could hold off O'Connell.

ATP Sofia: Fabian Marozsan vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Every set of Roberto Bautista Agut's first round match against Miomir Kecmanovic went to a tiebreaker, and Fabian Marozsan will be out to pick the bones.

Just one ranking place separates these men, but they appear to be headed in opposite directions.

Bautista Agut is set to wind down his career soon, while Marozsan has a bright future ahead of him.

It will be tough for Bautista Agut to match the physicality of Marozsan and reach the last eight. 

ATP Sofia: Jan-Lennard Struff vs Billy Harris

Bill Harris has exceeded expectations for himself by reaching the last 16 in Sofia but faces German No 2 Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.

Struff has been a Masters finalist this season but is still chasing his first career singles title.

Harris has sprung one surprise this week, already beating Marc-Andrea Hüsler in three sets.

Struff enjoyed a bye into this round and will be fresh and ready to tackle the challenges Harris can throw his way.