The quarterfinals of the ATP Queen’s Club Championships are upon us, and it’s been a spectacular week so far. Three Brits still remain, and with two of them playing each other, the home crowd will be guaranteed a British player in the semifinals. Once again, the day’s play is stacked with exciting match-ups, and we’ll be making our predictions on who will be heading into the semifinals.
ATP Queen’s Club Championships Quarterfinals Predictions
Marin Cilic vs Alex De Minaur
Head-to-head: Cilic 1 – 0 De Minaur
Marin Cilic beat Fabio Fognini in pretty impressive fashion, and his form on the grass is looking really strong. Alex De Minaur hasn’t been playing particularly well recently, but did a good job of downing fellow countryman Millman in straight sets. Cilic’s power and skill on this surface can do lots of damage, and it may be tough for De Minaur to deal with.
De Minaur is an incredible retriever and is one of the quickest players on tour. A fit and in form De Minaur would probably enjoy this match-up, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to win this one especially on grass. That said, Cilic had some very nervy and tight moments against Ofner, so if there is a dip in Cilic’s level then De Minaur will pounce. Even if this happens though, Cilic should get through in the end. Expect an interesting battle, which the Croat should win.
Prediction: Cilic in 3
Cameron Norrie vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: First meeting
The battle of the Brits, and also a battle of the left-handers. Jack Draper followed up his stunning upset over Jannik Sinner in the first round by taking out Alexander Bublik in the next round. His talent and promise has been clear for all to see. A fantastic serve and some fierce groundstrokes, with blistering backhand winners a plenty. He will no doubt have a big future, but it’s another tough ask for him against a very in form player.
Cameron Norrie dismantled Aslan Karatsev in very convincing fashion, especially in the second set. Norrie impresses more and more as the season goes on, and he certainly has the ability to beat Draper. His defence and ability to move players around the court may cause Draper problems at first, but his mental toughness has been really impressive this week and it’s a match he can win with his serve and power. 3 sets is definitely likely and it will be close, but we’ll go for the underdog on this one.
Prediction: Draper in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Frances Tiafoe
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 3 – 1 Tiafoe
Shapovalov did a superb job of dismantling defending champion Feliciano Lopez 6-2 6-2. His serve looks as impressive as ever and his ball striking has been pretty magnificent. He is no doubt a title contender this week. Frances Tiafoe got another win under his belt against Viktor Troicki, and he is yet to lose a match this grass season. However, he’s got a hugely tough encounter ahead.
Shapovalov leads their head-to-head pretty comfortably, winning their last three meetings. The Canadian simply has a better serve and more ferocious groundstrokes that are a real weapon on the grass. Tiafoe has played well this week as well as last week, and he will definitely put up a fight. However, Shapovalov is on a higher level right now and should win this without dropping a set.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 2
Matteo Berrettini vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: First meeting
Matteo Berrettini did a superb job of taking down Andy Murray, displaying all his power and monumental serve. Hitting over 140+ mph serves and covering the court well, he’s looking like a real contender for the tournament. If he can keep up his bludgeoning from the back of the court going accurately, it’s going to be tough for anyone to beat him.
Dan Evans secured a great win over Adrian Mannarino, and is also looking in great form. His serve looks great, his net play is solid and he’s covering the court well. He certainly has weapons to hurt Berrettini and it’ll be tough for both men to break the other’s serve. Tiebreaks are very likely and it’s highly possible we’ll see this go the distance. Berrettini will go in as the favourite as he looks more formidable right now.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
