Into the quarterfinal round at the indoor ATP event in Auckland and just one solitary seed remains. We’ve seen Schwartzman succumb to injury, Baez continue his streak of losses, Bublik beaten by Goffin’s backhand, Isner pipped by Barrere, Ruud out-served by Djere and Mannarino outclassed by Wolf. Will Cam Norrie suffer the same fate as the others? There’s plenty of intrigue in predicting the outcome of Auckland’s latter stages.
ATP Auckland Quarterfinal Predictions
Richard Gasquet vs David Goffin
Head-to-head: Goffin 3-2 Gasquet
These vets have got plenty of life in them yet. Richard Gasquet hasn’t received enough praise for cementing himself as a mainstay in the Top 100 at the age of 36 years old, likely overshadowed by the achievements of Djokovic and Nadal. He’s doing more than holding his own however and shouldn’t be underestimated.
David Goffin has raised his level off the back of six straight losses, putting together two polished performances against Bublik and Eubanks. Both players are still capable of playing flashy tennis–match-up-wise though, it’s surprising the head-to-head is so tight. Goffin is one of the few players that can match Gasquet’s backhand and his forehand is superior to the Frenchman’s plus he should be more able than most to change direction into Gasquet’s weaker wing.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
Laslo Djere vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-head: First meeting.
Laslo Djere is one of the coolest customers in the game. He brings an air of professionalism to all of his matches, rarely looking like the overwhelming favourite but always bringing a very solid base-level into every match.
It’s therefore likely this match with Constant Lestienne will be very tight. The Frenchman has all the shots but will he able to maintain a high enough level for the entirety of the match? Couple Djere’s business-like attitude with his mind-blowing serving against Ruud and we’re confident the more experienced of the two will find a way through.
Prediction: Djere in 3
Quentin Halys vs Jenson Brooksby
Head-to-head: First meeting.
Quentin Halys is finally bringing his fantastic level from Challenger tournaments to the ATP. Novak Djokovic claimed he was playing Top 10 tennis in Adelaide and he didn’t face a break point in his last match against Ben Shelton.
Meanwhile, there are a few question marks over Jenson Brooksby’s form. His lack of a serve exposed him in the latter 2022 indoor events as he went 0-3 in Florence, Basel and Antwerp whilst his two wins in Auckland haven’t been awe-inspiring (Schwartzman retirement and Fognini in three sets). Halys is probably the safer of the two picks by a fair way–though we’ve got our fingers crossed for an epic.
Prediction: Halys in 2
Cameron Norrie vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: 1-1
We’d have been confident in a Cam Norrie win here if it weren’t for his last match with Marcos Giron. The American won on the indoor hard-courts of Vienna, posting a routine 6-3 6-4 scoreline. Perhaps Giron’s ability to finish the point in the forecourt countered Norrie’s consistency somewhat? This could be a factor and should give Giron a better chance than many will give him.
Norrie has started his season explosively however. If Norrie left you uninspired at the end of 2022, he made sure to start 2023 off with a bang making no mistake against Nadal, De Minaur and Fritz at the United Cup. We expect Giron to take a set but we can’t ignore such a statement from the Brit.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
