The remaining round-of-16 matches take place on day 4 at the ATP Antwerp Open. There was much exciting tennis played on day 3, with young Frenchman Arthur Fils one of the players to progress to the quarterfinals. Stefanos Tsitsipas and 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem are two of the players set to feature on the fourth day. As always, we at LWOT provide our analysis and predictions for all the matches. But which players do you think will win?
ATP Antwerp Day 4 Predictions
Maximilian Marterer vs Nuno Borges
Head-to-head: First meeting
Borges got a very welcome win against Dominik Koepfer in the last round. The Portuguese player has struggled badly for victories in recent months but built on the momentum of reaching a Challenger Tour final in China heading into this tournament. However, Marterer gets the edge in this one. He produced an excellent performance to defeat French veteran Richard Gasquet in the opening round, who did not even play particularly badly. The German’s serve is formidable on the courts at the Antwerp Open. In addition, the pace of the court seems to suit his lefty forehand. Borges should not be ruled out and will make Marterer hit a lot of extra shots with his gritty and determined style. Nonetheless, expect Marterer’s firepower to prevail in this one.
Prediction: Marterer in 3
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Hugo Gaston
Head-to-head: Gaston 1-0 Struff
Struff received a bye into the round-of-16 as the second seed and the German is certainly the favourite here. Struff has a 53-47 win/loss record on indoor courts on the ATP Tour, while Gaston is 5-12 (and three of those came in a run to the quarterfinal of the Paris Masters in 2021) In addition, Struff is enjoying the best season of his career, while Gaston has struggled throughout 2023. Yet there is one source of hope for the Frenchman. Struff only returned from a three-month injury layoff a few weeks ago, and did look rusty at those tournaments. The Madrid Masters runner-up’s big-hitting game is more naturally suited to the conditions at the ATP Antwerp Open. Overall, he is likely come through but an upset is not impossible in this matchup.
Prediction: Struff in 3
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Dominic Thiem vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: Hanfmann 1-0 Thiem
Thiem’s victory over Luca Nardi was hugely encouraging. The four-time Grand Slam finalist had to dig in against an opponent playing at a very high level. Thiem has often collapsed in many of those matches in 2023 but showed his resolve to beat the Italian. Hanfmann is dangerous for anyone if he finds his range. The 31-year-old is capable of hitting powerfully from both wings. However, Hanfmann usually plays his best tennis on clay. In fact, he has a win/loss record of 5-16 in ATP matches played on hardcourts, which is somewhat surprising. There is no doubt that Thiem’s level is not as consistent as it once was. Yet I think the combination of his movement and clean-hitting will be enough to rush Hanfmann into enough costly errors at the ATP Antwerp Open.
Prediction: Thiem in 2
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tsitsipas may be seeking to silence some doubters at the Atp Antwerp Open. There has been criticism from some in the media about him not committing to tennis as much as he should be, which Tsitsipas has refuted. Nevertheless, it is irrefutable that the Greek’s results in recent months have not lived up to his previous standards. Therefore, it is hard to predict a victory for him at the moment with great confidence. Van de Zandschulp’s season has also not gone as the Dutchman would have hoped. He reached the final in Munich in April but has suffered from a mixture of poor form and injuries since. There is every opportunity of Tsitsipas’ rut lasting until the end of the season. But I am giving him the edge at the ATP Antwerp Open against an opponent who may already be thinking about putting this season behind him.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
