Three of the top five seeds remain in Beijing, where Juan Martin Del Potro and Fabio Fognini are hoping to maintain their fine form on Saturday. Kyle Edmund and Nikoloz Basilashvili are also aiming for a place in the title match.
(1) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (4) Fabio Fognini
Del Potro and Fognini will be squaring off for just the third time in their careers at the ATP level when they clash in the China Open semifinals on Saturday. The head-to-head series is all tied up at one win apiece, with Del Potro getting the job done 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 three years ago in Sydney before Fognini triumphed 6-4, 6-2 in this summer’s Los Cabos title match. Whereas the Argentine was wearing down physically in the most recent contest, the shoe could be on the other foot this time around. Not only has Fognini been playing a ton of recent tennis (he finished runner-up last week in Chengdu), but he is also dealing with a minor ankle issue and has already withdrawn from the upcoming Shanghai Masters. The world No. 13 has managed to beat Radu Albot, Andrey Rublev, and Marton Fucsovics in Beijing, winning six consecutive sets since dropping his opener against Albot.
Hoping to match Fognini with three titles this season, Del Potro has advanced by taking out Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Karen Khachanov, and Filip Krajinovic in straight sets. The fourth-ranked Argentine is an awesome 46-11 for his 2018 campaign and has clinched his first appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals since 2013. With Del Potro red hot and Fognini likely less than 100 percent, this should be one-way traffic.
Pick: Del Potro in 2
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(5) Kyle Edmund vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
Two of the biggest forehands in tennis will be on display when Edmund and Basilashvili collide for the third time in their careers. It is Basilashvili’s favorite shot that has been more on target during the second half of this year. The 34th-ranked Georgian captured his first career title in Hamburg, made a run to round for of the U.S. Open, and recently advanced to the Metz quarterfinals. Basilashvili has leveled up his season record at 25-25 with victories this week over Jack Sock, Fernando Verdasco, and Malek Jaziri.
This marks the third career showdown between the two players, with Edmund having won both of their previous meetings–7-6(4), 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-1 at the 2016 French Open and 7-6(0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 at the 2018 Australian Open. The 16th-ranked Brit has cooled off a bit since his hot start to the season, but he is still sporting a solid 29-18 record following Beijing defeats of Peter Gojowyczk, Matteo Berrettini, and Dusan Lajovic. Edmund endured a much tougher path to the semis in terms of competitive matches, so an in-form Basilashvili should be able to avenge his previous losses to the 23-year-old.
Pick: Basilashvili in 3
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