Just eight men remain in contention for the trophy and it’s all set for an exciting finish at the ATP Paris Masters. The 2021 edition of this event is already a very successful one in terms of close matches and hopefully it’ll continue on the same vein.
ATP Paris Masters Quarterfinal Predictions
Daniil Medvedev vs Hugo Gaston
Medvedev looks in strong form. Perhaps he’s not quite where he was when he won the US Open, but he should be more than enough to take out Gaston. The Frenchman likely should have lost in the last round, but the crowd and situation seemed to overwhelm young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. The same won’t happen to a Grand Slam champion.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
James Duckworth vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head to head – First Meeting
Hubert Hurkacz looks certainly on song this week. The Pole is back in contention for the final spot at the ATP Finals. James Duckworth is enjoying a great week himself but is likely to face his toughest test this week. Hurkacz is a much more proactive player and likes to play on faster courts such as these. Expect Duckworth to be competitive but Hurkacz should rush the Aussie from the baseline and play on his terms more often than not.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 2
Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev
Head to head – Ruud 0-1 Zverev
Alexander Zverev will be relieved after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in three tight sets. The German squandered two match points in the second set and almost saw himself going a break down in the third before steadying himself and closing it out. Casper Ruud on the other hand was dominant in his win and grabbed the second last spot at the ATP Finals. Zverev blew away Ruud in their solitary past meeting but one feels Ruud will have more of a say this time. Expect Ruud to put up a fight but Zverev loves playing indoors and the best of three format suits him better than most.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz
Head to head – Djokovic 4-0 Fritz
It’s interesting to try to fathom whether the walkover Novak Djokovic helped him or put him at risk of playing a quarterfinal match without much match practice in the last month or so. That being said, the Serb’s will to win is not matched by many on the tour. Taylor Fritz has played a solid tournament this week taking out top seeds but this is a matchup problem more than anything else. Barring their Australian Open encounter this year where Djokovic was battling injury concerns, it’s pretty much being one way traffic. Expect Djokovic to counter Fritz’s groundstrokes and keep the rally balls suffocatingly close to the baseline to get the win.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
