Dominic Stricker treated the home crowd in Basel to a first-round win and he now faces No. 2 seed Casper Ruud on Thursday. Nicolas Jarry and Ugo Humbert are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals at this ATP 500.
(WC) Dominic Stricker vs. (2) Casper Ruud
With Roger Federer having retired and Stan Wawrinka already out, Stricker is carrying the hopes of the host nation at the Swiss Indoors Basel. He is certainly capable of flying the Swiss flag in proud fashion at this tournament and beyond, as the 21-year-old has all the tools to be successful on tour. He has started to put it together this season, highlighted by a fourth-round run at the U.S. Open that has him into the top 100 at No. 96. Stricker has struggled since then, but he may be back on track following a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over qualifier Benjamin Hassan on Tuesday.
Up next for Stricker on Thursday is first-ever encounter with Ruud, who has been on the way down since the end of the clay-court swing. Even after beating Alexander Bublik 7-6(5), 6-2 on Wednesday, the eighth-ranked Norwegian is a modest 9-7 in his last 16 matches. Although Ruud is a capable all-court player, an indoor hard court certainly isn’t the highest surface on his list of favorites–especially not for a matchup with a big hitter like Stricker. An upset on home soil for the NextGen star would not be surprising.
Pick: Stricker in 3
(7) Nicolas Jarry vs. Ugo Humbert
Jarry and Humbert will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Thursday. Their only previous meeting came this summer at the Toronto Masters, where Humbert prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 28th-ranked Frenchman was enjoying a solid stretch on outdoor hard courts at that time and has continued to play the most consistent tennis of his life. Humbert’s fall swing includes back-to-back quarterfinal efforts in Beijing and Shanghai and he opened in Basel with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory over an in-form Marcos Giron.
Jarry has been playing stellar tennis throughout the 2023 campaign. The 20th-ranked Chilean is 37-17 with clay-court titles in Santiago and Geneva plus quarterfinal showings in Beijing and Shanghai. And that’s not where the similarities with Humbert end. Jarry also posted a very impressive first-round win in Basel, beating Adrian Mannarino 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 6-4. This has all the makings of a competitive, high-quality contest. Jarry would probably have an edge on clay, but on an indoor hard court the nod goes to Humbert.
Pick: Humbert in 3
I like Stricker. I saw him play at the U.S. Open. Everyone should keep an eye on him.
Rudd uses experience to win in 3; Jarry wins a tough one, in 3.
told you Stricker would win
Always a good pick when you get it right. But what a lot of close matches ending on final set tiebreak this week. Jarry-Humbert no breaks of serve.
I had Mannarino going far and Bublik beating Ruud. Solid picks 🙂