Day four at the Stuttgart Open will see top seed and world #5 Alexander Zverev begin his campaign, whilst second seed and fellow top-ten star Karen Khachanov will also be in action. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
Stuttgart Open day four predictions
Matteo Berrettini vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Berrettini 1-0 Khachanov
Power tennis will be on display as Matteo Berrettini takes on Karen Khachanov. Berrettini made a very impressive start to his grass-court season by beating Nick Kyrgios in straight sets, dropping just a handful of points from the line in a dominant serving display. Khachanov, meanwhile, revitalised his season at Roland Garros, making the quarterfinals where he lost to Dominic Thiem. Khachanov, who made the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year, should have no issues translating that form on to the grass.
Berrettini won the only matchup between these two players, in a tight three-setter on an indoor hard court in Sofia earlier this year. Expect both players to utilise their big serves and huge forehands to try to win the points quickly, with long rallies likely to be few and far between. Berrettini was so solid in beating Kyrgios, an excellent grass-courter on his day, that it is hard not to back him to continue his run in Stuttgart.
Prediction: Berrettini in three
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Gael Monfils vs Denis Kudla
Head-to-head: first meeting
Gael Monfils will take on Denis Kudla for a place in the Stuttgart Open quarterfinals. Monfils survived a match point to beat Steve Johnson in a first-round thriller in Stuttgart and, whilst grass is far from his favourite surface, his ability to defend and counter-punch ensures he is always a threat. Kudla is very solid on grass, and made the semifinals at the Surbiton Challenger last week. He also reached the second week at Wimbledon in 2015.
In the first round, he easily beat Croatia’s Viktor Galovic, dropping just five games. This will be the first meeting between this pair and will likely be decided by how effectively Kudla is able to stay patient in the face of Monfils’ excellent court coverage. Despite Kudla’s grass court acumen, it is tough to see him winning this match. Monfils is just too solid.
Prediction: Monfils in three
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Gilles Simon vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Head-to-head: first meeting
Gilles Simon came back from a set down against Peter Gojowczyk in his first match at the Stuttgart Open. He was able to wear Gojowczyk down, breaking him four times in the last two sets, while only being broken once. Felix Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, picked up a comfortable win over Ernests Gulbis in what was his first tour-level match on grass. He faced only faced one break point all match, which he saved, in the win over Gulbis. He was able to successful adapt his game to the grass, despite his experience.
While Simon does not play aggressive tennis by any means, his game is well-suited to grass because he hits the ball fairly flat and can inject surprising pace into his groundstrokes. Auger-Aliassime impressed in his first match, but this will be a real test. He will have to stay patient and come to the net when he gets the chance to finish the point. Otherwise, he is in for a frustrating day. Expect him to fall just short.
Prediction: Simon in three
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Alexander Zverev vs Dustin Brown
Head-to-head: 1-0 Zverev
Alexander Zverev was struggling this year, but a win in Geneva and a trip to the quarterfinals at the French Open has turned his season around. Whilst grass is not Zverev’s best surface, he has posted some solid results when playing on grass, twice reaching the final at the Halle Open. On the other hand, Dustin Brown loves the grass. He is famous for beating Rafael Nadal twice on the grass, including at Wimbledon. Brown, who came through the qualifying, is yet to drop a set in Stuttgart Open.
These two have played once on an indoor hard court at a Challenger in Mons four years ago, with Zverev winning the match in straight sets. Brown has a huge serve, and tries to get to the net as often as he can, where his excellent touch stands him in good stead. Zverev, playing in his first grass-court match of the season, could well struggle to adapt to his unorthodox countryman. With the form that Brown is in, and with all the tennis that Zverev has played recently, expect Brown to pull off another impressive upset.
Prediction: Brown in three
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