Three quarter-final picks from the Canadian Open today, and honestly it's a pretty open field at the top. Hard to call any of these with much confidence, which is part of what makes them interesting. Let's get into it.
Canadian Open Predictions
Jakub Mensik vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head: Mensik 2-1 Shelton
Mensik actually leads this head-to-head, which still surprises me a little given how young he is and how physically imposing Shelton can be on hard courts. But Shelton's serve-and-forehand game can be disrupted by players comfortable on hard courts who take the ball early, and Mensik is exactly that type. The Czech has been one of the more exciting young players on tour this season and clearly has Shelton's number to some extent.
That said, Shelton wins this one. When he's clicking on hard courts indoors or fast outdoor conditions, the serve is just too big a weapon to deal with consistently over three sets and I think he finds enough to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Rafael Jodar vs Arthur Fils
Head-to-head: Jodar 1-1 Fils
Fils has been one of the more exciting players to watch this year with his aggressive baseline game and willingness to go for everything, but he can be streaky and the level drops off sharply when things aren't clicking. Jodar at his best on hard courts is a solid, consistent performer and the level-headed type who doesn't give Fils much to feed off of emotionally.
With the head-to-head perfectly split and not much separating them on ranking, this feels like a coin flip, but I'll go with Jodar to grind it out in three.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Luciano Darderi vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: Darderi 1-1 Nakashima
Darderi has made his name mostly on clay, and while he's a quality player, hard courts are a different ask, especially against someone like Nakashima who is quietly one of the more reliable hard-court performers on tour. Nakashima doesn't get the attention he deserves, but he's become so good at staying composed in long rallies and making opponents beat him rather than beating himself.
Nakashima takes this one. The surface suits him more, the head-to-head is level and his consistency, which has been notably steadier on hard courts this season, should be the difference over three sets.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Yannick Legare/ZUMA Press Wire