The draw at the Swedish Open has been whittled down to just eight men as the tournament heads towards its conclusion at the weekend. So far there has been some great clay-court tennis and some thrilling upsets. But who will book their place in the last four?
Swedish Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Jeremy Chardy vs Nicolas Jarry
Head-to-head: Chardy 1-0 Jarry
The Frenchman Chardy has had a difficult season so far on the ATP tour, but has been playing fine tennis this week in Bastad. In his opener, he battled past former-world #10 Pablo Carreno Busta in three-sets before dispatching top seed Christian Garin 6-4 6-4. But he will need to be at his best against the sixth-seeded Chilean Jarry, who has not yet dropped a set at the Swedish Open, beating both Henri Laaksonen and Mikael Ymer in straight sets.
Chardy did win their only previous meeting, a tight three-setter which came earlier this year on the slow hard courts of the Miami Open, which may give him confidence heading into this one. But Jarry is the superior clay-courter. Make no mistake, both men have plenty of power, but Chardy’s backhand is a real weakness and his second serve can go missing. If Jarry can target those weaknesses, expect him to advance, though not without dropping his first set of the week.
Prediction: Jarry in 3
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Joao Sousa vs Federico Delbonis
Head-to-head: Sousa 3-2 Delbonis
Sousa had been struggling badly since winning on home soil at the Estoril Open in April, but put that to rights with an excellent run to the fourth round at Wimbledon. And so far at the Swedish Open, he has handled the switch in surfaces impressively, beating Jan Kovalik and home hope Elias Ymer to reach the last eight. Delbonis too has looked sharp, having accounted for the Spanish qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles before beating third seed Pablo Cuevas in straight sets.
There has been little to divide this pair so far in their rivalry, although Sousa does lead 3-1 on clay. He cannot match the big-hitting Argentine for power, but he is the better mover of the two and excels at taking the ball early and on the rise, which could expose Delbonis’ relative lack of speed around the court. Delbonis second serve has also looked shaky so far and he has hit nine double faults in his two previous matches. A weakness for Sousa to target then.
Prediction: Sousa in 3
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Juan Ignacio Londero vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-head: Londero 1-0 Gasquet
Londero has played some great clay-court tennis this year, highlighted by a title at the Cordoba Open and reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros, where he beat his opponent in this match, Gasquet, in four sets in the second round. The Frenchman will surely be out for revenge, but it is hard to see him getting it. Gasquet has struggled to find his fitness this year and after a tough battle with Denis Novak in the second round, he could find himself coming up short against the determined and consistent Londero.
Prediction: Londero in 2
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Roberto Carballes Baena vs Albert Ramos Vinolas
Head-to-head: Carballes Baena 3-4 Ramos Vinolas
At least one Spaniard will be in the last four as compatriots Carballes Baena and Ramos Vinolas are set to do battle in the quarterfinals. Carballes Baena will surely be feeling confident after scoring fine wins over another of his countryman, Jaume Munar, and Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia. But Ramos Vinolas has been showing flashes of the player who once reached the final in Monte Carlo and cracked the top twenty, impressing in his straight-sets victories over Constant Lestienne and Spanish second seed Fernando Verdasco.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, six of their previous seven meetings have come on the clay, with the elder man having had the better of it, winning four to Carballes Baena’s two. But it is Carballes Baena who has won their last two matches, in the final in Quito last year and on the hard-courts in Winston-Salem. Nonetheless, when Ramos Vinolas is striking the ball as cleanly as he has been this week, he is a hard man to stop. Expect him to prove too strong for Carballes Baena.
Prediction: Ramos Vinolas in 3
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