Roger Federer’s bid for a sixth Halle title continues on Friday against Mischa Zverev. Tommy Haas and Gael Monfils are also in quarterfinal action.
(1) Roger Federer vs. (WC) Mischa Zverev
Federer and Zverev will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open on Friday. Their only prior meeting came more than three years ago on the clay courts of Rome, where Federer prevailed 7-6(3), 6-2. Zverev is making another rare appearance in the last eight of an ATP event after dismissing David Goffin and lucky loser Mirza Basic. The 156th-ranked German has doubled his previous 2013 ATP-level win total already this week.
Federer, a five-time champion in Halle, earned a first-round bye as the top seed before dismissing another German wild card–Cedrik Marcel-Stebe–on Wednesday. The third-ranked Swiss is 23-7 for the season and he is still in search of his first winner’s trophy. Federer is not in dominant form at the moment, but he is clearly several levels above Zverev–especially on grass.
Pick: Federer 6-2, 6-3
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(3) Tommy Haas vs. Gael Monfils
Haas and Monfils will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time this season when they collide on Friday. Monfils leads the head-to-head series 2-1 after a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 Auckland quarterfinal win back in January. Haas’ lone victory over Monfils came via first-set retirement at the 2008 Cincinnati Masters. They have never faced each other on grass.
Both players have overcome injuries–Monfils more recently than Haas–and are playing great tennis at the moment. The 67th-ranked Frenchman heated up on clay and so far in Halle he has taken out both Milos Raonic and Jan Hernych in straight sets. Haas reached the French Open quarterfinals before getting a first-round bye in Halle as the No. 3 seed. The 35-year-old German, a two-time champion of this tournament, opened with a 7-6(5), 6-4 scalp of Ernests Gulbis on Thursday. Haas will likely want this one more than his opponent and he also has an edge on grass, so an upset here would come as a considerable surprise.
Pick: Haas in 2
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