We have made it to the weekend in Dallas, Texas, as four players remain in the once-28-man draw at the Dallas Open. Three seeded Americans have made their way to the semifinals and are joined by 23-year-old Hangzhou, China native, Yibing Wu. Taylor Fritz, John Isner, J.J. Wolf, and Wu have all played terrific tennis to reach the final four in Dallas, but something must give on semifinal Friday. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Dallas Open Semifinal Predictions
John Isner vs J.J. Wolf
Head-to-Head: Isner 1-0 Wolf
Americans John Isner and J.J. Wolf are into the Dallas Open semifinals and will square off for the second time. Isner won their previous meeting, 6-4 6-7 6-4, in Atlanta in 2021. Wolf has been on a meteoric rise over the last four months. The 24-year-old former Ohio State Buckeye holds a 14-5 record since October 10th, reaching the Round of 16 at the Australian Open and the final in Florence. He has found consistency with his powerful groundstrokes and has been adept at bullying his opponents around the court. The 37-year-old Isner provides an intriguing matchup for his younger compatriot. Isner has not had his serve broken in Dallas, but he only has two breaks himself. I expect Isner to force this match into a tiebreak or two, but I believe Wolf has the chops to get enough returns in play to swing this battle in his favor. Wolf is still looking for his first tour-level title.
Prediction: Wolf in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Yibing Wu
Head-to-Head: first meeting
No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz avenged last year’s quarterfinal loss at the Dallas Open to Marcos Giron with a three-set win over his compatriot on Thursday. Fritz found his serve when needed and powered his way to a 12th tour-level semifinal over the past 23 months. On the other hand, his semifinal opponent is the first Chinese native to reach an ATP semifinal since 1995. Yibing Wu has played flawless tennis in Dallas. The 23-year-old dispatched Denis Shapovalov and Adrian Mannarino in straight sets to reach this semifinal. Wu returned to tennis in 2022 after missing two years due to injury. Over that time, he holds a 44-10 record in all competitions. He was ranked No. 1749 on April 18, 2022. He now holds a live ranking of No. 83 in the world. Wu has a forehand that can compete with the monster the American brings to the table. I expect this to be a very competitive match with many solid forehand-to-forehand rallies. If Wu can hold in pressure moments, I like his chances to reach the final.
Prediction: Wu in 3
Main Photo Credit: © Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
