Two intriguing semifinal matches make up the Saturday line up at the ATP Rotterdam. In the first, the in-form Daniil Medvedev will take on the mercurial Gael Monfils. In the second, former champion Stan Wawrinka, who is seeking to reach his first final since the 2017 French Open, will take on Kei Nishikori, who has enjoyed a dream debut in Rotterdam so far. But who will make it to the final?
Gael Monfils vs Daniil Medvedev
Monfils and Medvedev will be playing each other for the second time in as many weeks. Last week, Medvedev defeated Monfils in the semifinals at the Sofia Open, before winning the title by defeating Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in straight sets in the final. The 23-year-old has gone 14-2 so far this year and is surely brimming with confidence. Although Monfils has played well so far, the Russian, who is now riding an eight-match winning streak, should have enough to emerge as the winner from Saturday’s clash.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
Kei Nishikori vs Stan Wawrinka
Nishikori has moved along well this week after overcoming a slow start against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, which saw him drop the first set before rallying to win in three, in the first round. However against Ernests Gulbis and Fucsovics, respectively his second round and quarterfinal opponents, he was superb. The same can be said about Wawrinka, albeit on a grander scale, as he has been in fine form at the ATP Rotterdam after early exits at the Sofia Open, and more frustratingly, the Australian Open before that.
Wawrinka leads the head-to-head against Nishikori by the slightest of margins with five wins to the Japanese’s four. But it would be doing both players an injustice to rely only on the head-to-head to predict an outcome. Regardless of the result, however, the match does promise to be a stand-out considering the quality of both me. That will no doubt be welcome to the tournament directors after a number of big names withdrew ahead of the tournament. Expect Wawrinka to be the man through to Sunday’s final, with his greater power giving him an edge Nishikori will struggle to match.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 3
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