Diego Dedura-Palomero stole the show on Tuesday when he won an ATP Tour match in Munich aged just 17 years and 1 month. The German wunderkind will now face Zizou Bergs, while No. 4 seed Ugo Humbert and No. 5 seed Francisco Cerundolo will battle against some difficult challengers. Who will complete the quarter-final line-up?
ATP Munich Day 4 Predictions
David Goffin vs Mariano Navone
Head-to-head: First meeting
David Goffin recently defeated Carlos Alcaraz in Miami, although one could certainly question how much that win was about his brilliance as the Spaniard was far from his best. Nonetheless, Goffin seemed a little off his game against Billy Harris in the opening round with the conditions not making it easy for him to take the ball early. An expert clay-court baseline like Mariano Navone should probably take advantage of that. At this stage of their careers, there could be a physical edge for him to exploit as well.
Prediction: Navone at 3
Francisco Cerundolo vs Alexander Shevchenko
Head-to-head: Cerundolo 2-1
It’s important to remember that Alexander Shevchenko is a quality player, even if his recent results are just incredibly up and down. Francisco Cerundolo, on the other hand, has been on fire, winning two matches in every event other than Monte Carlo last week (where he simply ran into eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz). It wouldn’t be shocking to see Shevchenko enjoy the grind and make this closer than expected. But it’s also impossible to go against Cerundolo at the moment.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Zizou Bergs vs Diego Dedura-Palomero
Head-to-head: First meeting
Diego Dedura-Palomero has already made history at this event, becoming the first 2008-born player to win a match on the ATP Tour. Denis Shapovalov retired against him in the second set and was a perfect matchup in many ways. The young German can struggle to generate his own pace and dictate play, but loves it when somebody just goes at him with lots of power and not much point construction. Zizou Bergs should be able to approach this a little bit more tactically and finish off points at the net.
Prediction: Bergs in 2
Ugo Humbert vs Fabian Marozsan
Head-to-head: Humbert 2-0
Ugo Humbert has been struggling with a finger issue over the last two weeks, making him far less potent off the backhand side. But he still pushed through to a win against Nicolas Jarry in the opening round here. Fabian Marozsan lost their last clay-court match at the Paris Olympics, although typically he’s a player with a stronger skillset for this surface. He’s far from consistent, but his strokes should be more threatening than Humbert’s flat ball-striking here.
Prediction: Marozsan in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports