Friday at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris Bercy will feature the quarterfinal matches, with several interesting storylines to follow as well, especially as far the last few berths for Turin are concerned. There have been a lot of upsets this week but the quality has generally high, with plenty of fast paced tennis and exciting matches decided by the smallest of details. This Friday should be no different given the players involved and the matchups.
ATP Paris Bercy Quarterfinal Predictions
Holger Rune vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head: Rune 2-2 De Minaur
Both players are still hunting for a place in Turin, but their current prospects are quite different: while De Minaur almost guarantees a spot if he wins and is quite likely to make it even if he loses this match, Rune needs to win a second Bercy title to qualify. On paper, it’s a very close matchup but Rune does tend to play his best tennis at this venue and might just have the slighest of edges.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Jordan Thompson vs Ugo Humbert
Head-to-head: Thompson 1-0 Humbert
Both players are aiming for a first ever career Masters 1000 semifinal; for Thompson it’s actually the first time he even reaches a quarterfinal. Both have had nice runs this week, but Humbert was especially impressive in his won over Carlos Alcaraz. He also seems to have far more upside than Thompson in general and should finally be able to pull off a deep run in a big event in front of his home crowd.
Prediction: Humbert in 2
Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 4-0 Khachanov
Dimitrov absolutely needs to win this match to stay in the race for a spot in Turin, but he has only escaped defeat by the skin of his teeth in both of his matches this week so far. Meanwhile, Khachanov has been in great form in recent weeks and is a former champion at this tournament. While the head to head suggests a clear advantage for Dimitrov, this should be a very tight match and Khachanov has a real chance to make another deep run in Bercy.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: Tsitsipas 10-5 Zverev
Both players have a lot at stake here: Tsitsipas needs to win the tournament to qualify to Turin, a loss tomorrow would immediately take him out of contention. Zverev will pass Alcaraz and rise back to #2 in the rankings if he makes the final here. Tsitsipas has generally had the clear edge in this rivalry and even beat Zverev at this very venue last year, but Zverev is clearly the much better player at the moment overall. It is a very hard match to call given all of these factors.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
