We are down to the final four at ATP Houston, with Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe looking to find some form ahead of the European clay court swing. No. 1 seed Shelton gets a tough semifinal draw against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who is dangerous on the dirt. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for both matches. But who will advance to the final?
ATP Houston Semifinal Predictions
Frances Tiafoe vs Luciano Darderi
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Frances Tiafoe’s start to the season has not been strong. He came into this match with a 7-7 record in 2024. Clay has never been his best surface, but Tiafoe has looked solid in two wins in front of the home crowd. Across the net, he’ll square off against Italian youngster Luciano Darderi. The 22-year-old has made some noise on the clay this season, advancing out of qualies to win his first ATP title in Cordoba. He has already knocked out two seeded players this week and will give Tiafoe all he can handle on Saturday. In a back-and-forth battle, expect Tiafoe to get the fans involved and ride that momentum to victory.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Ben Shelton vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-Head: first meeting
We have two big servers meeting in the ATP Houston semifinals when No. 1 seed Ben Shelton takes on No. 4 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Shelton entered this event with a career ATP record of 2-8 on the dirt. He has locked comfortably this week, saving 14 of 16 break points he has faced in two matches. Etcheverry favors the clay as his best surface and is 20-12 on the surface over the last 52 weeks. This will be an incredibly tough matchup for the American. Etcheverry is a big hitter who moves well. Shelton’s serve is less advantageous on this surface and does not move nearly as well on the clay as Etcheverry.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 2
More must-reads: