Day 4 of the Antwerp Open 2019 had its certain share of upsets as the top two seeds were knocked out in straight sets. We have our last eight and it’s all set for an exciting finish. We preview and predict who makes it to the last four.
ATP European Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Guido Pella vs Ugo Humbert
Head to head – First Meeting
Ugo Humbert dashed David Goffin’s hopes in front of a partisan Belgian crowd with some aplomb. The Frenchman is seeking his first tour-level title and his first two matches project a solid chance for him.
Guido Pella had to battle hard to get past Peter Gojowczyk in a third set tiebreak and is still finding his rhythm. When he takes on Humbert for the first time, he’ll be taking on a man who has been serving exceptionally well this week. Goffin is a solid returner and he was 0-for-1 on break point chances. It’s highly improbable Pella will have much say if Humbert can control rallies and serve like he’s been doing this week.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Jannik Sinner
Head to head – First Meeting
Jannik Sinner caused the upset of the tournament so far, knocking out top seed Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2. His opponent Frances Tiafoe is on a resurgent run of his own blasting away a tricky matchup in Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-4.
The pair have never played each other before and this match may give us insights about the future of men’s tennis. For the good of the game, both players have their best years on tour yet to arrive. It’s an extremely tough call with both players looking so strong in their respective round of 16 matches. The pair also masterfully protected their second serve each winning above 70% points. The Italian has the belief that he can stand against the top players which can prove crucial in him clinching a semifinal spot. Tiafoe looked solid but he’s been inconsistent for the majority of the season and a turnaround against the highly motivated Italian looks unlikely.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Andy Murray vs Marius Copil
Head to head – Murray 2-0 Copil
So far so good for Andy Murray. A routine win over Pablo Cuevas was just what he needed heading into the last eight and with Diego Schwartzman bowing out, it’s a relatively easier task at hand in the form of Marius Copil.
The Romanian managed to just scrape by in three tight sets, 6-4 5-7 7-6(7). Copil knows what the Brit brings to the tennis court having lost to him twice with the most recent one in Washington last year going to a third set tiebreaker. Murray surely won’t be taking Copil lightly here as the Romanian plays well on indoor surfaces but the Brit is a great problem solver and expect him to problem-solve his way to the semifinals.
Prediction: Murray in 2
Stan Wawrinka vs Gilles Simon
Head to head – Wawrinka 4-3 Simon
Interestingly enough, Gilles Simon has a 3-1 head to head against Stan Wawrinka on hard courts, which probably highlights how the Frenchman is not a very good matchup for the Swiss. That being said, they last met in 2016 and Simon’s 2019 season is definitely below par.
Wawrinka has gone title-less this season but with Gael Monfils crashing out in his section of the draw, the Swiss should be eying at least a finals appearance. Matchup wise, it’s a simple case of how few errors Wawrinka makes. If that stat sways in the favor of the Swiss, Stan should overpower Simon and wrestle control of the match. Simon won’t let it go so easily though after his confidence-boosting win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets. It should be a tight affair but I’m counting on Stan to control his error count and serve as he did against Feliciano Lopez.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
Disagree with our ATP European Open Quarterfinal Predictions? As always, feel free to leave your ATP European Open thoughts in the comments.
