There should be plenty of entertaining action on semifinals day at the ATP Parma Open. All four men left standing will surely be eager to book their place in the final, with the start of the French Open now just days away. But who will advance?
ATP Parma Semifinal Predictions
Marco Cecchinato vs Jaume Munar
Head-to-head: Munar 1-0 Cecchinato
Jaume Munar has not performed as consistently as he would have liked to over the clay-court season, despite some good showings, but the Spaniard has found some form this week at the ATP Parma Open. He opened his campaign with a creditable 6-3 7-6 win over Mikael Ymer, before Benoit Paire’s retirement trailing 5-7 1-3 handed him a place in the quarterfinals. He then thrashed the veteran Richard Gasquet 6-1 6-1 to reach his second tour-level semifinal of the season.
Marco Cecchinato too played indifferently for much of this clay-court swing, particularly for a player who has reached the last four at the French Open. But the Italian has looked sharp so far in Emilia-Romagna. He opened his campaign with a 6-3 7-6 win over his compatriot Raul Brancaccio and he backed that up by dismissing the seventh seed Aljaz Bedene 7-5 6-2. Cecchinato then beat Norbert Gombos for the loss of only four games in the quarterfinals.
This will be the second meeting between this pair, with Munar having taken the first – which came in the second round in Cordoba in 2019 – in three sets. This looks set to be similarly close, particularly as both men should be well-rested after their swift wins in the quarterfinals. But Munar’s game is that much more solid and reliable than the Italian’s. If he maintains the level he displayed against Gasquet, he should be able to draw enough errors from Cecchinato’s racket to reach the final.
Prediction: Munar in 3
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Sebastian Korda vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Korda 1-0 Paul
American men’s tennis may currently be at a very low ebb, without a representative in the world’s top 30, but there are at least some excellent young players to carry the flag for the USA in the years to come. Amongst them are Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda, who are set to meet for the second time this season. Korda has the greater clay-court pedigree, having last season reached the fourth round at the French Open, but Paul can play on the terre battue.
Korda, the younger of the two men, started his week with a comprehensive 6-3 6-4 win over Andreas Seppi and he backed that up by beating the top-seeded Lorenzo Sonego 6-1 7-5. Korda then bested Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3 6-3 to make the semifinals. Paul, who is seeded sixth at the ATP Parma Open, began his tournament by beating Stefano Travaglia 7-5 6-4 before rallying from a set down to get the better of Jiri Vesely 6-7 7-6 6-3. He then secured his place in the semifinals with a 6-2 6-4 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
It was his forehand that did the damage against Struff and Paul will need it again if he is to get past his countryman. But it is hard to see him managing to land enough blows with that shot to compensate for Korda’s overall advantages. Korda covers the court better than Paul and his backhand is also more reliable than his countryman’s. When they met earlier this season the match went the distance and this one may well also go to a decider. But expect it to be Korda who comes out on top.
Prediction: Korda in 3
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