The big story coming out of the ATP 250 in Pune, India is the withdrawal of the top seed Marin Cilic due to a knee injury, which paves the way for the rest of the draw to make their mark. The four men remaining still has the second seed in the mix along with young hopefuls. As ever, we at LWOT preview and predict both semifinal clashes for you.
ATP Pune Semifinal Predictions
Tallon Griekspoor vs Aslan Karatsev
Head to head – Griekspoor 1-1 Karatsev
Tallon Griekspoor will be well rested because of the withdrawal of Marin Cilic but the Dutchman has played well so a semifinal berth is well deserved. That being said, he now takes on an in-form hard-hitting Aslan Karatsev.
The Russian has slowly started to hit his stride match by match and his quarterfinal match was Karatsev of early 2021. Griekspoor will put up a defiant fight but it’s likely it won’t be enough if the Russian starts to be aggressively consistent from the baseline. Expect Karatsev to reach the final.
Prediction: Karatsev in 3
Benjamin Bonzi vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Head to head – Bonzi 0-1 van de Zandschulp
Benjamin Bonzi has had a good week thus far, winning all three matches in straight sets. The Frenchman has been at his baseline best and it will be interesting to see how Bonzi will fare against the Dutchman’s baseline prowess.
The second seed has rolled on smoothly this week and it’s very likely the Dutchman will contest for the trophy in Pune. Botic van de Zandschulp is a handful for most on hard courts especially and will take some stopping to oust the Dutchman. Expect van de Zandschulp to move on.
Prediction: van de Zandschulp in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
