As the ATP Hamburg Open heads into the fourth day, the action should heat up in northern Germany. The players left in contention will have no shortage of motivation as they seek to build momentum ahead of the French Open. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Alexander Zverev vs Alexandre Muller. But who will book their spot in the last eight>
ATP Hamburg Day 4 Predictions
Andrey Rublev vs Justin Engel
Head-to-head: first meeting
Former champion Andrey Rublev cruised past Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in straight sets in the previous round to set up a round of 16 clash against German teenager Justin Engel. The 17-year-old created quite a buzz in his home country by defeating fellow wildcard Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 7-6 in a generational showdown between Germans.
While the teenager will enjoy the spotlight for the time being, it is important to point out that Struff is currently on a frustrating losing streak, and this forthcoming match with Rublev will present a significant step up in terms of skill and quality. The Russian has not been at his best of late, and frankly seems to be regressing, but the 27-year-old has been ranked as high as world #5 for a reason. He should have far too much for Engels.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
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Roberto Bautista Agut vs Frances Tiafoe
Head-to-head: Bautista Agut 1-0 Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe recovered from a slow start to defeat Bu Yunchaokete in straight sets with the second seedu ultimately comfortably winning 7-5 6-2 against the Chinese underdog. The American will likely find himself facing more of a challenge when he comes up against Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard may not be the force he once was, but he looked sharp in reaching the round of 16 after a solid 7-6 6-0 victory over Marcos Giron.
Bautista Agut also holds a 1-0 advantage in their head-to-head, although that victory was back in 2019. Unusually for a Spaniard, clay is also not Bautista Agut’s best surface, whilst Tiafoe is better equipped than many of his compatriots when it comes to playing on the terre battue. Tiafoe may occasionally have to battle his own instincts, but he should have the agility and overall skills to prevail.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
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Francisco Cerundolo vs Jiri Lehecka
Head-to-head: Lehecka 1-0 Cerundolo
Francisco Cerundolo thundered 28 winners as he continued his excellent clay form with a straight-sets demolition of Pedro Martinez to set up a round of 16 encounter with Jiri Lehecka. The Czech overcame a second set wobble to beat qualifier Borna Gojo 6-4 3-6 6-2.
This will be their second meeting after Lehecka stormed to a 6-2 6-2 6-2 success at Wimbledon in 2023. However, Cerundolo is now the more in-form player and a far greater threat on the dirt. It will be a big-hitting affair, but the way Cerundolo’s forehand is firing right now suggests that could be the key factor.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Main photo credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
