There are eight men left standing in Halle after four days of brilliant tennis. Friday sees those eight men battle it out for a place in the semifinals. Six of the top eight seeds in the tournament still remain, with world #1 Daniil Medvedev leading the charge towards the trophy. The Russian will take some stopping, but the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz will surely like their chances. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who we think should make the semifinals come Saturday in our ATP Halle quarterfinal predictions. As ever, feel free to let us know your views in the comments section below if you have anything you wish to add or discuss!
ATP Halle Quarterfinal Predictions
Oscar Otte vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: First meeting
This should be a fun match to watch. Both Oscar Otte and Karen Lhachanov hit a big ball and have a dangerous serve when it’s firing. Khachanov is probably the more complete player. That being said, he has shown a tendency to throw up a shocker every now and then. Otte will go for his shots from the start and likely won’t change that regardless of whether they’re finding the mark. That should work in the Russian’s favour here as he has a bit more variety to his game which he can use to throw the German off his rhythm. If both play well and the error count doesn’t climb to high on either side of the net then Khachanov should just edge this one. If not, it’s anybody’s guess what happens.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
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Nick Kyrgios vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-to-head: 2 – 0 Kyrgios
Pablo Carreno Busta will undoubtedly be out to prove a point in this match. Nick Kyrgios has been openly critical of the Spaniards tennis ability in recent years. In fact, the Aussie once said that Carreno Busta wouldn’t be anything without clay courts. That’s a bit of a ridiculous statement given the fact Carreno Busta has twice made a Grand Slam semifinal on hard courts. He also has three ATP titles on the surface. Unfortunately, the Spaniard may struggle to do much about taking revenge for those comments here as Kyrgios is superb on grass and is great form coming into this match. There are doubts about his mental fortitude yet again after a meltdown in his last match against Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, the Aussie normally keeps it to one major meltdown a tournament so he should be more focused and ready to perform here. If that’s the case it’s hard to see him losing.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-head: 2 – 0 Auger-Aliassime
This is a great matchup between to rising stars in the men’s game. Hubert Hurkacz has had a very up and down year so far. However, he looks to be coming good on grass once again. The Polish #1 made the semifinals of Wimbledon last year and will be hoping for a similarly impressive display this time around. However, things don’t look good for him as far as advancing in Halle goes as he faces Auger-Aliassime next. The Canadian looks to be in superb form and is one of the more complete players on the ATP Tour. He is one big tournament win away from taking the final big step in his ascension and establishing himself as a Perennial Grand Slam contender on all surfaces. He too has a great grass court game and made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes a step or two further this year, both at Wimbledon and here in Halle.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 2
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Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista-Agut
Head-to-head: 3 – 0 Bautista-Agut
Well, things aren’t looking good for Medvedev as far as capturing a title to make up for the one he surely feels he let slip away last week at the Den Bosch Open. The world #1 has been dominant so far this week and certainly looks the favourite. Nevertheless, he will be very unhappy to be facing Roberto Bautista-Agut in the quarterfinals. The pair have met three times on hard courts, twice in the last two years. Across those three meetings, Medvedev has won just one set. Medvedev is certainly a capable grass court player and will like his chances here. However, his wall of defense isn’t as impenetrable on these courts. The ball often keeps low and out of his strike zone, making things difficult for the Russian. He is the deserved favourite here. However, I think the Spaniard and his effective forehand are in with a real chance of an upset if Medvedev is even slightly off his game.
Prediction: Bautista-Agut in 3
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