Three quarter-final picks from Hamburg today, with rain threatening throughout and temperatures sitting around 13°C and partially cloudy, which should slow the clay down and make life harder for the big hitters. Let's get into it.
Hamburg Open Predictions
Luciano Darderi vs Alex De Minaur
Head-to-head: First meeting
De Minaur is the higher-ranked player and generally the more consistent one, but clay is genuinely his weakest surface and Hamburg has a history of rewarding the kind of grinder Darderi is. Darderi has been playing well on clay this season and the slow, heavy conditions today suit his game far better than they suit De Minaur's counter-punching speed-based style.
De Minaur thrives when he can use the pace of the ball against his opponents and on slow Hamburg clay in wet conditions, that becomes a lot harder to do. I think Darderi takes this one in a tight three.
Prediction: Darderi in 3
Tommy Paul vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-head: Paul 1-0 Altmaier
Paul leads the head-to-head and is the better player by most measures, but Altmaier is a genuine clay-court threat and Hamburg is basically his home tournament, which counts for something. The crowd will be behind him and he's the kind of player who can stretch matches on this surface when he's feeling it.
That said, Paul has been solid this year and should have enough to get through, all things considered. Paul wins in 3.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Head-to-head: Kovacevic 1-0 Carabelli
Kovacevic leads the head-to-head but Carabelli is the more experienced clay-court player and the ranking gap here doesn't tell the whole story. Carabelli grinds well on slow surfaces and these conditions today, which look set to stay miserable all day, are exactly where he's most dangerous, and Kovacevic hasn't exactly been a consistent force on tour this season.
Hard to see this being competitive for long. I feel like Carabelli's clay-court nous is the difference in what should be a long, scrappy match.
Prediction: Carabelli in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Oscar J. Barroso/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire