Estoril QF previews and predictions: Halys vs. Thiem, Kecmanovic vs. Zapata Miralles

Dominic Thiem will be playing in his first quarterfinal of the 2023 season when he faces Quentin Halys at the Estoril ATP 250 on Friday. Miomir Kecmanovic and Bernabe Zapata Miralles are also aiming for a place in the semis.

Quentin Halys vs. Dominic Thiem

A return to clay may be just what the doctor ordered for Thiem. The 29-year-old had not won back-to-back matches in 2023 prior to arriving at the Estoril Open, but he has done just that and has reached a quarterfinal for the first time this season. Thiem opened with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sebastian Ofner before beating Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday.

Up next for the 2020 U.S. Open champion is a first-ever meeting with Halys on Friday. The world No. 80 has already won 10 ATP-level matches this year, including a pair of straight-setters in Estoril at the expense of Nuno Borges and Roberto Bautista Agut. Halys had never defeated a top-50 player on clay prior to his victory over Bautista Agut on Thursday night. Thiem may not be top 50 at the moment, but his clay-court prowess is such that a win for the Frenchman would be even bigger than his result against Bautista Agut. The Austrian should advance, but he may not be consistent enough to finish the job in straight sets.

Pick: Thiem in 3

(6) Miomir Kecmanovic vs. Bernabe Zapata Miralles

Kecmanovic and Zapata Miralles will also be squaring off for the first time in their careers. It has already been a stellar week–and a stellar season–for Zapata Miralles. He is up to 43rd in the world and can start thinking about French Open seeding, which would be well deserved given his clay-court skill. Zapata Miralles has already delivered semifinal performances in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro; he is one win away from accomplishing the same feat in Estoril following wins over Henrique Rocha and No. 2 seed Hubert Hurkacz.

On the heels of a first-round bye, Kecmanovic cruised past Jurij Rodionov on Wednesday. The 40th-ranked Serb is a modest 9-8 so far in 2023 and is about as good on clay as he is on hard courts. Of course, he would prefer to face Zapata Miralles on anything other than the red stuff. This is a great opportunity for the Spaniard to maintain his fine form and reach another semifinal.

Pick: Zapata Miralles in 3