Americans Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz are still alive in Eastbourne as competition moves into the quarterfinals on Friday. Paul is going up against Alex de Minaur, while Fritz seeks a semifinal spot at the expense of Alexander Bublik.
(6) Alex de Minaur vs. Tommy Paul
De Minaur and Paul will be squaring off for the third time in their careers and the third time this season when they battle for a semifinal spot at the Rothesay International on Thursday. Both of their previous encounters have gone de Minaur’s way; 7-6(2), 6-4 in Indian Wells and 7-5, 6-4 shortly thereafter in Rome.
There is no real reason to expect anything different on grass as de Minaur looks to sweep the head-to-head series on all three surfaces. The 24th-ranked Australian is 34-17 lifetime on grass, whereas Paul is 10-7 for his career on the green stuff. De Minaur has been more efficient this week, ousting Cristian Garin and Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets. Paul needed three sets to get past both Francisco Cerundolo and Jannik Sinner. That victory over Sinner was a good one for the 35th-ranked American, but it’s not enough to suggest that he is ready to get on the scoreboard against de Minaur.
Pick: De Minaur in 2
Alexander Bublik vs. (3) Taylor Fritz
Bublik is happy to be on grass after enduring a tumultuous and mostly unsuccessful clay-court swing. The 39th-ranked Kazakh hasn’t really taken off on a surface that suits him much better than clay, but he at least managed to advance one round in both Stuttgart and Queen’s Club and now has gotten through two matches in Eastbourne. Bublik survived a wild 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-0 affair with Frances Tiafoe and then eased past John Millman 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Up next for the 25-year-old on Thursday is Fritz, who trails to the head-to-head series 3-0. But they have not yet faced each other this season; since their last matchup Fritz has made a substantial leap. The 24-year-old American registers at No. 14 in the world thanks in part to his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells. Although an injury has slowed him down just a it of late, his straight-set win over Thiago Monteiro in the Eastbourne first round was encouraging. Even on grass you never know when Bublik is going to implode mentally, and Fritz is more than capable on this surface.
Pick: Fritz in 3
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Tommy in 3….Bublik in 3.