The draw has opened up after #2 seed and Monte Carlo championFabio Fognini withdrew with a left leg injury. Fognini will be replaced by lucky loser Filippo Baldi, who will face fellow lucky loser Pablo Cuevas for a spot in the quarterfinals.
ATP Estoril Day 4 Predictions
Malek Jaziri vs Leonardo Mayer
H2H- First Meeting
Both Malek Jaziri and Leonardo Mayer recorded upset wins in the first round, over Nicolas Jarry and Dusan Lajovic respectively. Jaziri is capable of pulling off big wins and making runs throughout the year, but Leonardo Mayer is the more consistent player. I’d give a slight edge to Mayer, but this is a great opportunity for either one of them to get to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Mayer in 2
Frances Tiafoe vs Yoshihito Nishioka
H2H- First Meeting
Yoshihito Nishioka easily defeated American Mackenzie McDonald in the opening round. Up next is another American and last year’s runner up in Estoril, Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe looked more like the player we saw at the beginning of the year in his straight-set win over Mikhail Kukushkin. Tiafoe is one of the few American men that don’t mind playing on the clay. I like his chances here against a tough player in Nishioka.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Pablo Cuevas vs Filippo Baldi
H2H- First Meeting
Pablo Cuevas is having one of the luckiest weeks a lucky loser can have on tour. Cuevas lost to Salvatore Caruso in the final round of qualifying only to play him again in the first round after Filip Krajinovic withdrew with a foot injury. Now, instead of Italian Fabio Fognini, he’ll face Italian Filippo Baldi. Cuevas has played a lot of tennis lately, which will catch up to him eventually, but he shouldn’t have any issues here.
Prediction: Cuevas in 2
David Goffin vs Joao Sousa
H2H- Goffin leads 4-2
David Goffin received entry into the Estoril Open via wild card. He is looking to get some kind of form, which he hasn’t been able to do all year long with a 9-10 record this season. Playing the defending champion Joao Sousa in his first match isn’t ideal at all. Even though he’s done well against Sousa in the past, nothing we’ve seen from the Belgian this year would lead you to believe he’ll win this match. I think Sousa continues his winning streak in Estoril and advances to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Sousa in 3
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
