French Open QF preview and prediction: Zverev vs. Etcheverry

The two lowest-ranked players remaining in the men’s singles draw will go head-to-head in the French Open quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon.

Of course, that’s just about all Alexander Zverev and Tomas Martin Etcheverry have in common. Zverev was once ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and has been a familiar face in the business end of Grand Slams but now finds himself at No. 27 as he returns from last year’s ankle injury suffered in the Roland Garros semis against Rafael Nadal. Etcheverry is just now making a name for himself on tour, having climbed to 49th in the rankings from pretty much out of nowhere this season. He has never won a main-draw match at a major prior to arriving in Paris.

Unsurprisingly, Wednesday marks the first-ever meeting between these two players. After all, Etcheverry was hardly around on the main tour prior to 2023. The Argentine had four ATP-level wins heading into this season; he already has 19 this year alone. Etcheverry’s success includes two clay-court final appearances in Santiago and Houston and now he is thriving on the big stage. The 23-year-old is the only man in the field who has not yet lost a set at this tournament, as he made quick work of Jack Draper (via retirement), Alex de Minaur, Borna Coric, and Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the quarters.

Zverev has also impressed, with only one set lost during defeats of Lloyd Harris, Alex Molcan, Frances Tiafoe, and Grigor Dimitrov. Tiafoe probably should have at least taken their third-round match to a fifth set, but the American let Zverev off the hook.

Despite not being tested by Dimitrov, the 26-year-old German double-faulted seven times in three quick sets. Faced with few pressure-packed moments against Tiafoe, Zverev double-faulted 10 times. That doesn’t bode well for his prospects against a red-hot opponent who will almost certainly put him in some difficult situations.

Etcheverry’s run to the last eight is no fluke, and it has good chance of continuing.

Pick: Etcheverry in 5

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