Three quarter-final picks from the Canadian Open today, and honestly it's a pretty interesting slate. No obvious walkover on paper, though one of these feels a lot closer than the others. Let's get into it.
Canadian Open Predictions
Rafael Jodar vs Arthur Fils
Head-to-head: Jodar 1-1 Fils
All square between these two, and I think Jodar takes the decider here. Fils is an exciting player on his day, but he can be streaky and when he's not firing his first serve at a high clip, he tends to get dragged into long rallies he doesn't always want. Hard courts suit him more than clay, sure, but Jodar has looked composed all week and is playing consistently enough to weather whatever Fils throws at him early.
Fils will likely have his moments and could easily take a set, but Jodar's steadiness feels like the difference over three sets.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Luciano Darderi vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: Darderi 1-1 Nakashima
Another split series, and this one's genuinely hard to call. Darderi has been one of the more pleasant surprises on tour this year, but Nakashima on hard courts is a different animal. He keeps the ball incredibly deep, barely misses and has become so good at not panicking in long exchanges. That style wears people down quietly, and it tends to show up in third sets.
Nakashima in 3 feels right, even if Darderi makes him work for it.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
Daniel Merida Aguilar vs Learner Tien
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tien has been one of the most exciting young Americans on the hard court this year, and reaching a Masters quarter-final at his ranking says plenty about where his game is right now. Merida Aguilar is a solid player but the ranking gap is real, and there's not much in his recent run to suggest he can handle Tien's pace and aggression over a full match. That said, the conditions should suit Tien just fine and he should have enough on this surface, all things considered.
Prediction: Tien in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Horacio Zamora/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire