It promises to be a terrific quarterfinal day of ATP action in Adelaide. Also, Mirra Andreeva vs Maya Joint is among the four matches on the WTA side. Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot are some of the ATP players who will take to the court. As always, we here at LWOT predict all the action.
ATP Adelaide Quarterfinal Predictions
Tomas Machac vs Jaume Munar
Head-to-head: First meeting
Machac produced dominant performances against James Duckworth and Quentin Halys, not dropping a set in either match. Munar comfortably defeated Daniel Altmaier before winning a tight battle against No. 3 seed Francisco Cerundolo. The Czech will undoubtedly be the aggressor in this contest. His superior overall talent means this match is on his racket. Munar is a fighter, but he can only win if Machac plays poorly, which feels doubtful.
Prediction: Machac in 2
Ugo Humbert vs Alexander Shevchenko
Head-to-head: Humbert 2-0 Shevchenko
Humbert did not drop a set in either of his matches, while Shevchenko has won four times since qualifying to reach this point. In their previous meetings, Humbert handled his opponent’s aggression in the rallies well, avoiding becoming overwhelmed. Doing that allows the Frenchman’s superior serve to make the critical difference. That dynamic is most likely to occur again.
Prediction: Humbert in 2
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-head: Davidovich Fokina 1-0 Vacherot
Both men had to overcome only one opponent to reach the quarterfinals (Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew before his scheduled match with Vacherot due to an injury). Despite Vacherot’s extraordinary triumph in Shanghai last year, Davidovich Fokina is the more talented player. His aggressive and varied game also suits the conditions more, making him the likely winner.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Tommy Paul vs Aleksandar Vukic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Vukic is the other player who has gone from qualifying to this point. All his victories, including one against Stefanos Tsitsipas, were tough battles. By contrast, Paul’s sole victory was against Reilly Opelka in straight sets. Although being battle-hardened might help Vukic somewhat, Paul is backed to win. The Australian’s level in his four previous matches almost certainly would not be good enough to pass this challenge.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
