Only two seeds remain in Belgrade heading into the quarterfinals, and No. 3 Francisco Cerundolo could have a tough test on his hands against Hamad Medjedovic. Christopher O’Connell and Denis Shapovalov are also in action.
(3) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (WC) Hamad Medjedovic
Medjedovic ended last season in awesome form, dominating his way to the NextGen ATP Finals title. Big things were expected of the 21-year-old Serb in 2024 as a result of that performance, but they have not come to fruition. Injuries and general poor play have kept him down at No. 156 in the world. However, Medjedovic may be finishing strong in November just like he did 12 months ago. He has made the most of his wild card at the Belgrade Open, reaching the quarterfinals with wins over Brandon Nakashima and Aleksandar Kovacevic.
Up next for Medjedovic on Thursday is a first-ever meeting with Cerundolo. The 29th-ranked Argentine has been up and down this season, but he has done enough–barring something unforeseen–to be seeded at the 2025 Australian Open. Cerundolo followed up an opening bye with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Roman Safiullin on Wednesday. The 26-year-old is the better all-court player, but Medjedovic may have a slight edge in front of the home crowd and on an indoor surface that suits his game.
Pick: Medjedovic in 3
Christopher O’Connell vs. (Q) Denis Shapovalov
O’Connell and Shapovalov will also be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Thursday. It has already been an outstanding week for both guys. O’Connell completely destroyed Miomir Kecmanovic (6-1, 6-1) and Daniel Altmaier (6-3, 6-1) to easily book his spot in the last eight. Shapovalov qualified for the main draw by beating Constant Lestienne and Hugo Grenier before getting the best of Marton Fucsovics and Nuno Borges.
This should be a high-quality contest, but it’s tough to pick against O’Connell given his current form. As well as Shapovalov is playing, his backhand can go off the rails at any moment–especially when it is put under pressure on a fast surface. O’Connell is capable of pulling off that tactic, just as he did against Altmaier’s one-hander in round two.
Pick: O’Connell in 3
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Dolo in 2; o’Connell in 2.