Just four men remain in contention for the 2021 ATP Hamburg European Open title. It seems very open now that Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated by Filip Krajinovic on Friday. Who do you have making the finals?
ATP Hamburg Semifinal Predictions
Laslo Djere vs Filip Krajinovic
Head-to-head: Krajinovic 4-2
Laslo Djere has been nearly flawless in Hamburg thus far, not dropping a single set and demolishing two-time champion Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarterfinals. But it was Filip Krajinovic who scored an absolutely huge win at that stage of the event, eliminating the top seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas. It was the Serbian’s third top 10 victory of his career (second in a completed match). Krajinovic blasted 26 backhand winners past the Greek in an absolutely amazing performance.
The dynamics of this match will be quite different but the Serbian is a player with a lot of still unrealized potential. His ability to play quick off the bounce is almost unmatched on the tour and when his backhand is on fire like against the Greek, his ceiling is incredibly high. The head-to-head between the two is tied at 2-2, but Krajinovic won the last meeting at this exact venue two years ago. Along with the confidence boost that a win like the one over Tsitsipas must grant him, he should be able to repeat that result on Saturday.
Prediction: Krajinovic in 3
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Federico Delbonis
Head-to-head: Delbonis 5-2
Federico Delbonis has a solid lead in the head-to-head here, including a 4-2 record against Pablo Carreno Busta on clay. The Argentinian is having an excellent season with 28 match wins on clay and brilliant runs at Roland Garros and Rome. His path to the semifinal in Hamburg has been wobbly, especially the three-set win over Benoit Paire that saw him save four match points and come back from a set and 4-2 down. But perhaps it’s just another thing that Delbonis started doing better this season – winning tight matches when not everything is going in his favor.
Not that Carreno Busta has been unsuccessful in 2021; the Spaniard clinched a tour-level title at Marbella and made the fourth round at Roland Garros. But with the match against Paire being very short for a tight three-setter, perhaps Delbonis can fight his way through to another dramatic victory. After all, he’s had the Spaniard’s number in the past and was the runner-up here eight years ago.
Prediction: Delbonis in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
