There has been plenty of surprise and excitement so far in ATP action in Eastbourne, with upsets throughout the draw. The tournament’s top seed Taylor Fritz is the only seed to reach the quarterfinals, alongside two qualifiers, a lucky loser, and a Wild Card. Local favorite Billy Harris is looking to make the most of the opportunity, while several lower-ranked players have a real chance to make noise in the draw. Fritz is the clear favorite hoping to build momentum for a deep run at Wimbledon and will be motivated after losing the #1 American rank to Tommy Paul. We preview all four quarterfinals for you.
ATP Eastbourne Quarterfinal Predictions
Aleksandar Vukic vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-head: 2-1 Nishioka
This is a rare rematch from earlier this week, where Nishioka beat Vukic in a close two-setter in qualifying for the event. Vukic has made the most of his Lucky Loser status, winning both his matches in straight sets including a massive win over the #3 seed Alexander Bublik. He has relied on a strong serve to take him to the quarterfinal, holding all 19 of his service games and facing just five break points.
Nishioka fought through a long match against Marcos Giron and has used his baseline game to out-rally his opponents this week including Vukic. However, Giron doe not have anywhere near the serving ability as Vukic who seems to be locked in. Nishioka is not as fresh with his time spent on court while Vukic looks sharper than in qualifying so he will flip it around and reach the semifinal.
Prediciton: Vukic in 3
Max Purcell vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head: 1-0 Kecmanovic
Interesting matchup here between two players not quite having the year they would have wanted. Neither player has a significantly positive record on grass courts so there should be no major surface advantage. Kecmanovic has not enjoyed the grass court season so far, losing his first two matches before his strong start to the week in Eastbourne. Purcell has played well on gras, qualifying for his last two events and scoring two solid wins here. While he has not won against top competition, Kecmanovic looks vulnerable and he has a chance to take advantage. Kecmanovic does not seem to be as sharp as he has been, and Purcell will look to play short points and use his fast hands to take advantage on the quick courts.
Prediction: Purcell in 3
Billy Harris vs Flavio Cobolli
Head-to-head: First meeting
Harris is the lone British player remaining in the draw and will hope to draw energy from a passionate crowd behind him. He is a true journeyman who debuted in the top-150 last week and is looking to sharpen his game for his first appearance at Wimbledon. Cobolli has played good tennis this week to reach the quarterfinal. He is a strong clay-courter who had never won a professional match on a grass court coming into Eastbourne. He is the more polished of the two but Harris will have nothing to lose, a supportive crowd, and a big serve and overall game better suited for grass. Harris will pull off the upset and continue a potential cinderella run to the final.
Prediction: Harris in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Juncheng Shang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Fritz is the clear favorite for the event and will come in as a heavy favorite against Shang. The former Wimbledon quarterfinalist enjoys grass court tennis as it is a good fit for his big serve and forehand. Most of Shang’s grass court experience has come at the Challenger Tour level so he is facing a tall task against Fritz. He has shown the ability to fight, winning three of his four matches here in three sets. He simply does not have the tools to take on Fritz, who didn’t even face a break point in his first round match. Fritz will be in control from start to finish and win easily.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Main Photo Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
