After a thrilling week of tennis so far at the ATP Washington Open, just four men remain in contention for the title in the US capital. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for both semifinals. But who will book their place in the final?
ATP Washington Semifinal Predictions
Jannik Sinner vs Jenson Brooksby
Head-to-head: first meeting
Jenson Brooksby looks to be in the midst of a breakthrough run. The American reached the final at the ATP Newport Open, but fell just short against the power and court craft of Kevin Anderson. But that disappointment appears to have spurred him on. After making the quarterfinals in Lexington, he has been almost unplayable so far in Washington, beating Anderson, Frances Tiafoe, Felix Auger-Aliassime and John Millman – all without losing a set.
Jannik Sinner had arrived at the ATP Washington Open in indifferent form, but has looked sharp so far this week with wins over Emil Ruusuvuori, Sebastian Korda and Steve Johnson to reach the last four. He has been hitting the ball cleanly all week, with his easy power pushing his opponents on to the backfoot. Brooksby will no doubt look to disrupt Sinner’s rhythm, but the Italian’s game looks well-suited to these conditions and he should be able to hit through Brooksby often enough to reach the final.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
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Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald
Head-to-head: Nishikori 1-0 McDonald
Kei Nishikori saw his Olympic campaign in Tokyo brought to an end in the quarterfinals where Novak Djokovic mauled him for the loss of only two games. But it was a broadly encouraging tournament for the Japanese all the same and he has built on that so far in Washington with wins over Sam Querrey, Alexander Bublik, Los Cabos champion Cameron Norrie and Rafael Nadal’s conqueror Lloyd Harris, losing just one set in the process.
Mackenzie McDonald, meanwhile, has strung together another run that hints at what he might be able to achieve if he could find some more consistency. The American has played some excellent tennis to beat Nick Kyrgios, Benoit Paire, Ilya Ivashka and Denis Kudla. His performance in the quarterfinals was particularly impressive, as he imposed himself on his countryman Kudla and dictated proceedings. But Nishikori is a more effective defender than Kudla and he also has more options on the front foot.
Prediction: Nishikori in 3
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