Day 5 at the ATP Stockholm Open will feature all four quarterfinal matches. All of the matches are pretty close, and it will be a day full of action. There will be only four men standing when the matches are done. Whom do you think will be those?
ATP Stockholm Quarterfinal Predictions
Dan Evans vs Frances Tiafoe
Head-to-head: Evans 3-2 Tiafoe
Dan Evans managed to shake off a three-match losing streak as he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets to book a spot in the quarterfinals. After Evans shook off the initial rustiness, and he took the second set quite comfortably to seal the match. On the other side, Frances Tiafoe took one and a half hours to defeat Pedro Martinez in two sets. It was a gritty display from Tiafoe, as he managed to hold tight throughout the match and in the end, two breaks made the difference.
Tiafoe’s serves invariably bailed him out of trouble throughout the match. He faced six break points in the match, saving all of them. Though Martinez is essentially a clay specialist, he had shown good performances on hard courts in his last few tournaments. Hence, beating him in straight sets is a good performance from Tiafoe. Evans faced four breakpoints and was broken once in the first set, a sign that his service isn’t looking very dangerous. Hence, if he cannot match Tiafoe’s baseline game, he will be lagging back all the way. Furthermore, Tiafoe is in great form, he has warmed up well with straight-set wins in his two matches. I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to pull off the upset here.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Arthur Rinderknech vs Denis Shapovalov
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Denis Shapovalov defeated qualifier Andrea Vavassori 7-6,6-1 in the second round. He took some time to get going in the first set, before coming onto his own in the second, to secure the win. Shapovalov will be looking to end his blow-hot blow-cold pattern of play and try to take his momentum into the next match. Arthur Rinderknech, meanwhile defeated Jozef Kovalik in two sets to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a merciless performance from Rinderknech, as he broke Kovalik four times in the match.
Rinderknech blasted 11 aces in his second-round encounter. His strokes are looking good, but there is a visible weakness when he is pushed out wide. Shapovalov’s performance against Vavassori was interesting. The first set lasted an hour going to the tiebreaker, as Shapovalov double-faulted twice, also getting broken once. But in the second set, he looked completely solid and took just half an hour to finish off the proceedings. The only cause of concern for him in the second set was his serve, which isn’t proving as effective as it was a few months ago. But it is unlikely to hurt him much against Rinderknech. Shapovalov is the defending champion here and must have an idea about how it’s done.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
Botic van de Zandschulp vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Botic van ve Zandschulp defeated Marton Fucsovics in a very close three-setter. The match lasted almost three hours. This win takes him to the quarterfinals, another win away from repeating his performance at St. Petersburg. He will be more than happy to repeat it. On the other side, Felix Auger-Aliassime dismissed Filip Krajinovic in straight sets, to take his spot in the quarterfinals. The Canadian is irresistible on fast hard courts when at his best. With the exit of Jannik Sinner, Auger-Aliassime is the top remaining seed now, also the favorite to take the title.
After van de Zandschulp won the first set in the tiebreaker, it seemed that the match would be finished in two sets. But he was broken early in the second, and never managed to wipe the lead. The third set tested both players’ grit and determination, and van de Zandschulp proved to be mentally tougher. Eight break points were created, and van de Zandschulp converted one at 6-5 in the decider. His performance under pressure was the highlight of the match, whether it will be enough to outlast Auger-Aliassime is the question. Auger-Aliassime is a different beast on hard courts. Zandschulp might steal a set, but not the match.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Andy Murray vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Andy Murray pulled off the biggest upset at the ATP Stockholm Open as he overpowered first seed Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Sinner had won titles at the Sofia Open and the Antwerp Open and was one of the favorites to add to that list here. But Murray had other plans, as he fought for over two hours, giving no room for Sinner to make a comeback. On the other side of the net, there was another upset story. Tommy Paul defeated fellow countryman and fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz in exactly one and a half hours to book a quarterfinal berth. This unexpected matchup should be interesting.
Murray outplayed Sinner in every facet of the game. He moved well, hit harder, served better, and played the crunch points cleverly. The two were going neck-to-neck in the first set, till 5-4 in the tiebreak, where Murray realized his opportunity and capitalized. He broke early in the second, to wrap up the match. Though with a game like his and the mind of a grand slam champion, it mustn’t have been very tough for Murray. Tommy Paul did a very good job of sticking to his strengths and keeping the lead intact, in both sets. But I think Paul’s game might not be enough. After all, if Murray can battle for two hours against a fully fit top seed 14 years younger than him, and beat him easily, he can do it to anyone. At least in this draw.
Prediction: Murray in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
