Quarterfinal spots will be up for grabs on Day 4 of the ATP Swiss Indoors in Basel. Home favorite Stan Wawrinka can return to the last eight at the event for the first time since 2022 but faces a near-impossible task against sixth seed Ben Shelton. We also predict three more matches scheduled on Thursday featuring Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Botic van de Zandschulp. Who will advance?
ATP Basel Day 4 Predictions
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Head-to-head: first meeting
No player could wrestle the title from Felix Auger-Aliassime in Basel in the last two years. He is a smooth operator in this tournament. As far as tests go, this should be a very difficult one for the defending champion. Mpetshi Perricard is accustomed to playing economical tennis with his booming serve and flat groundstrokes, keeping points as short as possible. The young Frenchman has been prolific this year, winning four titles at all levels, including his maiden on the ATP Tour in Lyon. These are two efficient servers in men’s tennis, and you reckon the player with the best start to the match will run away with it.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Roberto Bautista Agut
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 2-0 Bautista Agut
Shapovalov’s fluctuating consistency is probably the main reason why his climb to the top of the sport has taken even more time than expected. But you can’t fault his effort or motivation. This is a crucial phase in his season as he continues to rack up points and soar in the rankings. There were obvious signs that fatigue started to weigh heavily on Bautista Agut’s legs in his first-round upset over Casper Ruud. The veteran Spaniard has extended his win streak to six matches (he won the title in Antwerp). With the possibility that this could be an attritional baseline battle, three sets could be on the menu. Shapovalov’s fresher legs will give him a significant advantage.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
Ben Shelton vs Stan Wawrinka
Head-to-head: first meeting
Wawrinka is now the oldest player to have won a match at the Swiss Indoors. It took him four attempts to register his first-ever victory against Adrian Mannarino in the opening round. It’s only his 11th match win of a challenging season, with half of those coming in the last couple of weeks. The Swiss is getting plenty of crowd support, and maybe there is still some vintage magic from that sizzling one-hander. Unless the crowd can absolutely rattle Shelton, the American’s explosion of power and finesse will be too much to handle for the 39-year-old.
Prediction: Shelton in 2
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
