The semifinals are upon us as the ATP Adelaide Open nears its culmination. We have been treated to five days of wonderful tennis, and more is expected in the semifinals, with the competition getting closer. Four men stake an equal claim on the trophy, and only the best one will take it home. Whom do you think will make it to the title clash from here?
ATP Adelaide Semifinal Predictions
Marin Cilic vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Cilic 2-0 Khachanov
Karen Khachanov outlasted qualifier Egor Gerasimov in straight sets in his quarterfinal match. The first set went very close, with both being broken early on in the first two games. Khachanov then secured another break of serve in the 11th game and had a simple task of closing it out in the next game. However, the next game went on for a very long time, lasting 23 points, and losing it effectively broke Gerasimov’s mental hold on the match until halfway in the second set. It was after six games and four more service breaks, that the set concluded. Khachanov won some of the points by simply out-hitting Gerasimov. When he decides, Khachanov goes full hilt till the point is won, however long it takes. This ability comes in handy playing clutch points.
Marin Cilic defeated Egor Gerasimov in his quarterfinal match which lasted just over an hour. Cilic displayed a clean game in the quarterfinals, he played every point according to the book. Most importantly for him though, the unforced errors dropped. His service was great as usual, but what is most extraordinary is that Cilic lost just seven points on his serve in the whole match. This level of proficiency on serve is rare, and it might be the x-factor that takes him all the way in Adelaide. When Cilic is playing at this level, some little people can match him. The road ahead of him looks really tricky in the form of second seed Khachanov and then possibly the first seed Monfils in the final, but he will produce something extraordinary, is what I reckon.
Prediction: Cilic in 3
Gael Monfils vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Thanasi Kokkinakis continued his dream run here at the ATP Adelaide Open, as he beat Mikael Ymer in his 2 hours and 47-minute long quarterfinal match. The fight in the guy is amazing, and so is the way he can tirelessly bounce back from anywhere. Kokkinakis has made good use of his wildcard entry into the draw and will hope to go further. With the support from the home crowd, his chances have increased. He hammered 15 aces in the match and faced three break points in three sets, of which one was saved. His defense held up well on crunch points, and that helped him in the long run. Beating the local guy is always difficult, and coming back after a comeback, Kokkinakis has all the support. Monfils has an uphill task ahead of him.
Gael Monfils defeated sixth seed and Stockholm champion Tommy Paul in straight sets to claim a spot in the semifinals. The duo was going neck-to-neck in the first set and till the early second set. But after breaking Monfils to 15 in the first game, he just couldn’t win another game. That is where Monfils’ experience came to the fore, as he managed to break Paul thrice in succession while holding serve himself. However, the 6-1 scoreline does no justice to the fact that four of the games went to deuce, and Monfils held his ground to win all of them. The takeaway from the match for him was winning 51% points on return, which was where he truly dismantled Paul. Monfils has dropped just eight games in his two matches so far. He really is on a mission here.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
