We arrive in the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Open, here are your predictions for the day.
Ugo Humbert vs Lloyd Harris
Head-to-head: Harris 1-0
Their meeting three years ago at an Egyptian Futures event probably carries little meaning now, as they both developed in a different way and at a different pace. Ugo Humbert is the higher-ranked player right now, won his maiden ATP title this year, and can play his best tennis with a lot more consistency than Lloyd Harris. Still, the lefty is pretty vulnerable to an opponent who can take the game out of his hands. And playing his best, the South African can definitely do it. Harris won eight matches in the past thirteen days and only lost in Cologne quarterfinals to Alexander Zverev in three sets. The usual inconsistency of his is nowhere to be found and his deadly combination of serve and forehand has been on fire. This should be close and Harris has a good chance of making the upset.
Prediction: Harris in 3
Milos Raonic vs Grigor Dimitrov
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 4-2
This is a rivalry that goes back all the way to 2009, when Grigor Dimitrov took out Milos Raonic in a Futures event in the United States. They only played indoors once, with the Canadian coming out on top nine years ago in Stockholm. It wouldn’t be wise to pay much attention to these meetings, the last of which happened in 2018. Milos Raonic decided to skip the French Open and prepare for the upcoming indoor season. So far, that decision is paying off with a semifinal run in St Petersburg and at least a quarterfinal here.
And he’s been much more impressive than his opponent. Grigor Dimitrov had to play just one match in Antwerp and ended up defeating Pablo Andujar in three sets. He made hard work of it and required a lot of time before finally finding his game. Raonic’s power should force him behind the baseline and while Dimitrov is very flexible and a great retriever, that’s not where he’s most dangerous.
Prediction: Raonic in 3
Karen Khachanov vs Daniel Evans
Head-to-head: Evans 1-0
Karen Khachanov’s level was not at all impressive in his second-round victory over Zizou Bergs. The young Belgian almost repeated the magic that saw him beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the opening round. We’ve seen more of Dan Evans, who had to beat Frances Tiafoe and Salvatore Caruso to get here. This will be another matchup of power against versatility. Evans’ backhand slice can make it a nightmare for the Russian to hit off the ground, forcing him to keep bending his knees very low. That’s what happened this year in Rotterdam, as Evans slowly worked out his way to victory. Khachanov is a bit of a linear power hitter and Evans has been winning many matches like these this year. Anyway, this should be very close but the Brit should have a decent chance to defeat Khachanov again if he executes his unusual slice properly.
Prediction: Evans in 3
Marcos Giron vs Alex De Minaur
Head-to-head: Giron 1-0
Alex De Minaur struggled mightily in his first-round match against Richard Gasquet, but he recovered well to comfortably beat Feliciano Lopez. The Australian really improved his serve in the past year or so, allowing him to get more free points and find it easier to dictate pace by himself. Marcos Giron is showing signs of promise this season and has won four straight, including an upset of home hero David Goffin in the previous round. But it will be a big ask to defeat De Minaur. The Australian can match Giron’s balls on the rise with his impressive court coverage.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
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