It should be an entertaining fourth day at the ATP Washington Open. There are eight matches on the slate in D.C. and, as always, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for every match, including Shang Juncheng vs Frances Tiafoe. But who will reach the quarterfinals?
ATP Washington Day 4 Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Yosuke Watanuki
Head-to-head: first meeting
Yosuke Watanuki’s win over Felix Auger-Aliassime was the first time the Japanese took out a top-20 player (despite coming close a few times in the past). He was struggling with his shoulder though and it’s unclear how much it’s going to hamper him here. Ugo Humbert is in brilliant form this year himself. It seems like his style will also be less vulnerable to the hyper-aggressive returning of Watanuki and he’s also not nearly as desperate for rhythm as Auger-Aliassime is at the moment.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
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Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 2-0 Ruusuvuori
This season hasn’t granted Grigor Dimitrov any spectacular results, but what’s most impressive about it is how consistent he is. If you look through the list of players who managed to defeat him, it’s very hard to find an actual bad loss. This one wouldn’t be it either, but he’s already taken out Emil Ruusuvuori twice in straight sets this year (French Open and Queen’s). The Finn likes this part of the season though and should come a bit closer than that this time.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
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Tallon Griekspoor vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: first meeting
Tallon Griekspoor delivered a real blowout to Liam Broady in his opening match, serving huge and moving forward with ease. Now he’s due to face Gael Monfils, who won this event all the way back in 2016. The Frenchman earned his third win of the season by beating Bjorn Fratangelo in a match of two players returning from injury. Griekspoor’s big game will present a different kind of challenge for Monfils and one that so far it doesn’t seem he’s equipped to handle.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray
Head-to-head: Fritz 1-0 Murray
Taylor Fritz looked great in Atlanta last week, clinching his sixth ATP Tour title. He’ll be tough to stop here as well, although he hasn’t done that well in Washington historically. Andy Murray is back on court for the first time since Wimbledon and beat Brandon Nakashima in a two-setter with many long rallies. Fritz demolished him the only time they played and while it should be tighter here, the American has gotten so much more consistent over the past couple of years and it feels like he has both enough power and rally tolerance to prevail.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Main photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
