The Masters National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada, has provided patrons with terrific tennis all week. ATP Toronto is down to four semifinalists who will battle it out this weekend for the title and 1000 ranking points. Semifinal Saturday features incredible matchups, including Italian phenom Jannik Sinner taking on American Tommy Paul. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for both matches as well as the two WTA semifinals in Montreal. But who will advance to the final?
ATP Toronto Semifinal Predictions
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-Head: Davidovich Fokina 3-1 de Minaur
24-year-old’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alex de Minaur will square off on Saturday with a spot in the ATP Toronto Masters final on the line. Davidovich Fokina is on the brink of his second Masters final appearance (2022 Monte Carlo). De Minaur is looking for his first. The Spaniard defeated Wolf, Zverev, Ruud, and McDonald to reach the semis. De Minaur has bested Norrie, Diallo, Fritz, and Medvedev.
Davidovich Foikina and de Minaur are two of the better movers on tour. Neither player gives much up in the way of unforced errors, and both are happy to stand in for 20+ shot exchanges. I expect this match to provide many long and entertaining points, with the advantage going to the player that can hold their nerve when it matters most. Ultimately, de Minaur is playing too well on this surface to be bested. He holds an 8-1 record in August with four wins over top-15 players. The confidence he brings into this match cannot be understated.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
Jannik Sinner vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-Head: Sinner 1-1 Paul
No. 7 seed Jannik Sinner squares off against No. 12 seed Tommy Paul with a spot in the National Bank Open final on the line. Sinner and Paul played two three-set thrillers back in 2022. I expect much of the same in this match. Both players come into this semifinal playing terrific hardcourt tennis. Sinner is 23-5 with four wins over top-ten opponents on the surface. Paul holds a 21-7 record on hardcourts and is coming off a win over World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. He is playing with the form and confidence to win this event.
Both Sinner and Paul are aggressive baseliners who look to push their opponents deep into the court. They have supreme confidence off both wings and can find phantom angles to win points. Sinner has the power advantage and will look to move to the net behind his massive forehand. That said, Paul is one of the best on tour at combating power. We saw him handle the pace of Alcaraz very well. No one scrambles better than Tommy Paul, and his ability to win points off his back foot may be the difference in this clash.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
