The Washington Open’s semifinal matches are set, featuring two exciting matches. It is a very strong lineup as three of the top five seeds are in contention, including American hopefuls Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, and Frances Tiafoe. As always, we here at LWOT will offer our predictions for every match on the slate. But who will advance to the finals?
ATP Washington Semifinal Predictions
Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli
Head-to-Head: Shelton 0-1 Cobolli
Ben Shelton had three match points in the second-set tiebreak before Denis Shapovalov got defaulted for saying something. Shelton wanted to play as he wanted a clean win instead of a walkover, but he will be pleased to reach the semifinals of the Washington Open. It was a close match, with both the sets going the distance, and Shelton played clean tennis in both the tiebreaks. Shelton has lost two of his three semifinals this year and would want to change that.
Flavio Cobolli won a tight battle against Alex Michelsen to advance to the semifinals. Cobolli’s forehand was on fire, and he was very aggressive in the match. He hit some great return winners and painted the lines often behind his shots. Cobolli’s first serve was very effective, but he hit 13 double faults in the match, something he will need to tidy up against Shelton. These two have met once, and Cobolli won in three sets on clay. However, on hard courts, Shelton has a slight advantage.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-Head: Tiafoe 3-2 Korda
Sebastian Korda defeated last week’s finalist in Atlanta, Jordan Thompson, in straight sets. This is Korda’s first semifinal at the Washington Open. He was much more clinical in this match, and saving those match points against Thanasi Kokkinakis might have flipped a switch. Korda has played solid tennis this year but has yet to achieve a significant result on tour. He will fancy his chances to claim his first title since 2021.
Frances Tiafoe beat the No. 1 seed, Andrey Rublev, to reach the semifinals. Other than the start of the second set, it was one of Tiafoe’s best matches in a long time. He was extremely focused and thrived under the crowd’s support. Tiafoe took the ball so early that it put Rublev under constant pressure. He found another level behind his serve towards the end of the second. If he can play like this, he is the favourite to win the title.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
