Just eight men are left in what has been a wild tournament at the ATP National Bank Open in Montreal. The red-hot Nick Kyrgios remains in the mix and is poised to clinch his second title in as many weeks. We are also guaranteed to have a first-time ATP Masters 1000 finalist as Dan Evans, Carreno Busta, Jack Draper, and Tommy Paul jostle to go the distance. Who do you think will reach the semifinals?
ATP Montreal Quarterfinal Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Head-to-head: Ruud 2-2 Auger-Aliassime
Casper Ruud has won so much on clay we tend to forget the hard-court force that he is. Ruud is now becoming a menace outside clay and he has results to back it up. Ruud passed his first acid test in the Round of 16, beating Bautista Agut in a thrilling three-setter. Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, is the last Canadian man standing at the National Bank Open. And he is being cheered on by a raucous home support every step of the way as he looks to win his first Masters title. The 22-year-old’s serve has been near-impregnable this week, firing 32 aces in two matches. Ruud has a punchy first serve too and I expect these two players to trade measured blows from the baseline. Ultimately, home advantage might suit the sixth seed in this matchup.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Dan Evans vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: first meeting
We are guaranteed to have a first-time Masters 1000 finalist this week. Two of those potential players will go toe-to-toe in this match. Dan Evans maintained his run of upsets after authoring another by beating 10th-seeded Taylor Fritz 7-6 1-6 7-5. Paul, for his part, backed up his career-best win over Carlos Alcaraz by taking down Marin Cilic 6-4 6-2. Both players are set to crack the top 30 on the back of these marauding runs at the National Bank Open. Evans’ silky hands should take the sting out of the ball and potentially Paul’s explosive power. This could be tight though.
Prediction: Evans in 3
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Jack Draper
Head-to-head: first meeting
Carreno Busta is seemingly untouchable at the National Bank Open. Not even the Italian duo of Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner had the answer to the Spaniard’s relentless baseline aggression. Jack Draper is yet to put a capstone to his tremendous 2022 season. Could it happen this week? Draper is running the gauntlet by the looks of things all the way from qualifying. He pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the week when he defeated Tsitsipas to earn his first top 10 win. The Briton has the firepower to hit through Carreno Busta. If he serves well and locates his power off the floor, he will certainly be difficult to contain. Too many ifs though. The Spaniard will bring bags of experience and is naturally the steadier performer. Any dips in Draper’s form will be exploited instantly. Expect Carreno Busta to put a stop to Draper’s fairytale run.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
Nick Kyrgios vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 1-0 Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios is riding on a wave of confidence that very few thought he would sustain in the long term. He produced another masterclass to send Alex De Minaur packing to all but confirm his US Open seeding status. Now that part of the job is done, Kyrrgios is sensing a major opportunity to land his biggest ATP title this week. He will also target to avenge his recent loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Halle.
Truth be told, Hurkacz has not been himself since he clinched the trophy in central Germany, beating both Kyrgios and Medvedev in back-to-back matches. The emotional toll of that title win clearly got to Hurkacz who has struggled mightily to produce his best tennis on his favored surfaces. Kyrgios might have little gas left in the tank, but he is probably playing on adrenaline right now. And how can you possibly pick against a man who has won his last nine matches?
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
