It promises to be an entertaining semifinal day at the ATP Gijon Open. Top seed Andrey Rublev is set to lock horns against Dominic Thiem in a mouthwatering encounter. And Arthur Rinderknech, who scored a second top-20 win in as many weeks, will look to reach his second ATP final when he faces Sebastian Korda. Who do you think will reach the championship match?
ATP Gijon Semifinal Predictions
Sebastian Korda vs Arthur Rinderknech
Head-to-head: Korda 1-0 Rindernech
This has turned into a super week for both Korda and Rinderknech. The pair will have the chance to lift an ATP title this weekend. 22-year-old Korda wants to cement his place inside the top 50 after a subpar season. Rinderknech, meanwhile, reached his first semifinal since January after upstaging Carreno Busta in a wildly entertaining quarterfinal. The Frenchman saved an astonishing nine match points and won the third-set tiebreak 18-16.
The serve will be a major asset in this matchup for both players and it is likely to set the tone for the rest of the match. Rinderknech just about shades the numbers, having hammered 33 aces in three matches and broken just once. He is also a great mover and hits with decent length. Korda will be a major obstacle particularly after earning three confidence-boosting wins this week. However, if the Frenchman persists in producing seismic serves, he will be sticking around Gijon until Sunday.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Dominic Thiem
Head-to-head: Rublev 3-2 Thiem
Rublev and Thiem will meet for the sixth time on Saturday. The top-seeded Russian weathered Tommy Paul’s heavy power to earn his 45th win from 61 matches in 2022–the second-highest winning ratio of his career. As a result, he narrowed the gap on fifth-placed Daniil Medvedev in the ATP Race and could significantly enhance his chances of securing qualification by winning the tournament. Thiem, for his part, has turned his campaign around after a dismal start to the year. The hard-hitting Austrian opened up his 2022 season with seven straight defeats. It took him a while to fathom his own game again, but everything appears to be clicking into place in recent weeks.
Balls are flying pretty high in Gijon which works in Thiem’s favor. Does Thiem possess the weaponry to hurt Rublev? Absolutely. His heavy topspin will unsettle the Russian who might have to retrieve balls outside his comfort zone. It would be a real statement of intent if Thiem wins this, but Rublev has been equally impressive and playing extremely well on the front foot. The top seed is not giving away cheap points behind his first serve. While Thiem will try all sorts of things to keep his opponent off balance, he is likely to hit a snag facing Rublev’s consistent ball striking.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
