Top half quarterfinal matches of the ATP Italian Open men’s singles draw will be played on Thursday in Rome. Jannik Sinner’s comeback is the main story of the week and the Italian is yet to drop a set in three matches, despite getting pushed by Francisco Cerundolo. Now it’s time for him to face Casper Ruud, who’s on a 9-match winning streak after claiming the title in Madrid. Who do you think will make the final four?
ATP Rome Quarterfinal Predictions
Hubert Hurkacz vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Paul 2-1
Hubert Hurkacz has been struggling with different injuries for a while now, one of them keeping him out of Miami, Monte Carlo, and Munich. The Pole returned with a very weak performance in Madrid, but he’s back on his feet now after spending a week doing some heavy training. The win over Jakub Mensik was kind of vintage Hurkacz with not much action on return and two tie-breaks won. His last match against Tommy Paul came in the quarterfinals last year and was a 3-set loss. It feels like the American should be able to prevail in most longer exchanges off the ground with how athletic he is and Hurkacz usually doesn’t respond well to having to attack with his forehand.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Jannik Sinner vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: Sinner 3-0
Opponents like Mariano Navone and especially Francisco Cerundolo didn’t need to be easy for Jannik Sinner after spending three months off the court. But pushing through them is going to be massive for the Italian, who’s hoping to get himself ready for the French Open with this one tournament. The way things stand at the moment, Sinner looks very likely to reach the final in Rome. Especially as the next matchups coming up might be more pleasant for him. Even when they played in 2020/21, he wasn’t dropping sets against Casper Ruud. And while they’re yet to play on clay, the Norwegian might be running low on steam by this point after winning Madrid.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
