We have reached the quarterfinal stage of the ATP 250 event in Marrakech. It has been a very interesting tournament so far, which has included Matteo Berrettini hitting some form. As always, we at LWOT give our predictions and analysis for all the quarterfinals. But which players do you think will reach the semifinals?
Head-to-head: First meeting
Carballes Baena struggled in his previous clay court events during the South American swing but played solidly to beat Dan Evans to reach this stage. However, his American opponent is a major obstacle. De Alboran impressively took out the fifth seed Facundo Diaz Acosta and David Goffin during his surprise run so far. Both players will view this as a major opportunity, but de Alboran seems in the zone right now and I think his run in Marrkaech will continue.
Prediction: de Alboran in 3
Head-to-head: First meeting
This has been a very welcome run for Fognini. He has mostly struggled for the last 12 months but the Italian veteran has come from qualifying to set up this meeting. But his tournament is likely to end at this stage. Kotov played a very high-quality match to overcome Flavio Cobolli in the previous round. At this stage of Fognini’s career, the Russian’s very powerful hitting is something that will be tough to manage, even on a clay court.
Prediction: Kotov in 2
Head-to-head: First meeting
Both players came through real battles in the last round. Navone recovered from a set down against the 39-year-old legend of the sport Stan Wawrinka. In the end, the younger Argentine’s superior physical condition made the difference. Vukic won a thriller in a final-set tiebreak against the No. 2 seed Sebastian Ofner. This contest is likely to be close but Vukic’s greater firepower could be the difference on a court like the one in Marrakech. However, Navone’s grit and determination certainly does have a chance of triumphing.
Prediction: Vukic in 3
Head-to-head: Berrettini 2-1 Sonego
It was encouraging to see Berrettini dig in and work hard to win in three sets against Jaume Munar in the previous round. The former Wimbledon runner-up was not at his best but held up physically after a tough battle, which is great after the injury issues he has had. Yet, I think Sonego will cut his momentum short. He hits so solidly and consistently from the baseline, meaning Berrettini cannot afford a significant drop in his level at any stage of the match. At this stage of his comeback, consistently living with Sonego’s intensity might be a step too far.
Prediction: Sonego in 2
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