#3 seed Alex de Minaur will face off against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in what could be the most intriguing match of Day 4 at the ATP 250 in Hamburg. #5 seed Karen Khachanov will also be in action against Ugo Humbert. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but who will advance?
ATP Hamburg Day 4 Predictions
Frances Tiafoe vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Frances Tiafoe saved all eight break points against home player Diego Dedura to secure a straight-sets win. Tiafoe will need to step up against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who is a stern opponent on this surface and has a lot more matches under his belt on clay this season than Tiafoe. However, if Tiafoe serves well and connects on second serve returns, he will be in a good position in this match. I am going with the American player to win this in a closely fought battle.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Karen Khachanov vs Ugo Humbert
Head-to-Head: Khachanov 1-1 Humbert
#5 seed Karen Khachanov battled against an inspired Hugo Gaston in the first round, and the Russian managed to dig deep to win the match in the deciding set tiebreak. Ideally, Ugo Humbert will want to get some match wins heading to his home Grand Slam, but this surface takes away most of his weapons, and Khachanov is a solid player who will not make life any easier for the Frenchman. These two have played close matches in the past, but on clay, Khachanov is my doubtless pick.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-Head: De Minaur 3-2 Fokina
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had a difficult season, but he played high-quality tennis against Corentin Moutet in the first round. The Spaniard saved all 13 break points in the match, which is a remarkable effort. A calibre of his player can turn around things quickly, and a win against the #3 seed Alex de Minaur could prove to be the spark he is looking for. The Australian has struggled to find his best level himself, but defeating a brilliant clay courter like Francisco Cerundolo in the first round should give him a lot of confidence. De Minaur ended his three-match losing streak with that win, and I think he is ready to make a deep run here.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
