There has been much quality tennis played so far at the ATP 250 event in Metz. Day 4 promises to be the best yet. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is one of those in action. Five round-of-16 clashes are scheduled on the fourth day and as always, we at LWOT predict the outcome of all of the matches. But which players do you think will win to reach the quarterfinals?
ATP Metz Day 4 Predictions
Alexander Shevchenko vs Mate Valkusz
Head-to-head: First meeting
It is hard to anticipate how Shevchenko will perform. In recent weeks he has beaten the likes of Taylor Fritz and Stan Wawrinka but also lost to Juan Pablo Varillas and Jason Tseng. Shevchenko’s ranking is far superior to his #232 ranked opponent but Valkusz lost just four games in his first round victory against Daniel Altmaier. The level of Shevchenko fluctuates wildly from one extreme to the next and his concentration could drift slightly so late in the season. A confident Valkusz has a chance of causing another upset in Metz.
Prediction: Valkusz in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs Abdullah Shelbayh
Head-to-head: First meeting
2023 has been a mixed year overall for Sonego. Therefore, his thrilling opening round triumph in a final set tiebreak against Marcos Giron will have felt very good. The Italian cannot afford any complacency in this Metz clash. Shelbayh got his second ever ATP main draw win against Hugo Gaston in the first round and reached a career high ranking a week ago. The Jordanian is likely to play with freedom, which could make things awkward for Sonego. Nonetheless, expect the more experienced Sonego to be too consistent throughout the match.
Prediction: Sonego in 2
Alexander Bublik vs Fabio Fognini
Head-to-head: First meeting
This promises to be a very fun match between two mercurial and notoriously fiery characters. 36-year-old Fognini has had his most difficult ever season on the ATP Tour, including losing in Grand Slam qualifying for the first time since 2007 at this year’s US Open. The first set of this clash is particularly important. Bublik has one of the best records in 2023 after winning the opening set but one of the worst when losing it. The Kazakh can be a hard player to predict but he should still have enough against an opponent far past his prime.
Prediction: Bublik in 2
Alex de Minaur vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Head-to-head: de Minaur 2-1 Herbert
These two players have gone in completely different directions in the last year. De Minaur’s superb season saw him come close to qualifying for the ATP Finals, while Herbert currently sits outside the Top 300. The 32-year-old Frenchman was once ranked inside the Top 50. Herbert will have a home crowd behind him, and upsets are common late in the season. Yet it is still hard to make a case for him against a player whose level has been so vastly superior throughout the course of the season.
Prediction: de Minaur in 2
Stan Wawrinka vs Luca Van Assche
Head-to-head: Van Assche 1-0 Wawrinka
It is a battle between the oldest and the second youngest player in the ATP Top 100. Van Assche quickly rose up the rankings after a string of early season successes on the Challenger Tour. However, the Frenchman has badly struggled for form since the beginning of the North American hard court season in August. 38-year-old Wawrinka shrugged aside any concerns of late-season fatigue with a dominant performance against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the opening round. The conditions in Metz suit the Swiss legend, with the medium-slow speed giving him ample time to wind up his groundstrokes. That makes him the favourite against his young opponent.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui – USA TODAY Sports
