It’s time for the men’s quarterfinals of the 2023 Hamburg European Open. Casper Ruud against Arthur Fils is a mouth-watering clash between one of the best clay-courters in the world right now and one of the game’s soon-to-be stars. Who do you think will prevail?
ATP Hamburg Quarterfinal Predictions
Laslo Djere vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: Djere 5-2
Historically an extremely tough matchup for Lorenzo Musetti and Laslo Djere actually leads the head-to-head 4-0 on clay. Perhaps it is the quiet solid tennis of the Serbian that naturally counteracts the flair and flamboyance of his opponent. That sort of balance often leads to errors and inconsistency from the player who needs to take more risks and choose his shots wisely. 4-0 still feels quite harsh though, isn’t he too good not to beat Djere on clay one day?
Prediction: Musetti in 3
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Daniel Altmaier vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Daniel Altmaier owns a crazy 3-1 record against the top 10 after his win against Andrey Rublev in the second round. The Russian might have been tired, but the 24-year-old was also at the very top of his defensive game. Now he’ll face another opponent who’ll be trying to blow him off the court. It should be a nice clash of styles with Zhizhen Zhang getting more and more accustomed to the ATP level (and playing a third German-born player in a row).
Prediction: Altmaier in 3
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Alexander Zverev vs Luca Van Assche
Head-to-head: First meeting
Luca Van Assche had his third shot at Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and finally did it, securing his maiden ATP Tour quarterfinal. This might be where his run ends though as it doesn’t seem like he has anything to hurt Alexander Zverev with. Last week’s match against Andrey Rublev in Bastad showed the German still has a ways to go before returning to his elite level, but his baseline game is just as consistent as Van Assche’s and a lot more powerful.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
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Casper Ruud vs Arthur Fils
Head-to-head: First meeting
Casper Ruud hasn’t been playing his best tennis this week so far, but he’s managed to survive two deciding sets. Meanwhile, Arthur Fils beat both his opponents 7-5 7-5 to lock up a huge result at this stage of his career. The talented Frenchman should provide yet another challenge for Ruud and we’ll see if the Norwegian has already played himself into form. Maybe he grabs another three-set victory? Peak Fils is capable of winning this one, but he might struggle to find enough consistency.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
