Defending champion Juan Monaco will continue his quest for a second straight Hamburg title when he takes the court for quarterfinal action on Friday against Nicolas Almagro. Tommy Haas and Fabio Fognini are also bidding for a place in the last four.
(5) Juan Monaco vs. (3) Nicolas Almagro
Monaco and Almagro will be squaring off for the ninth time in their careers at the ATP level and for the second time this season when they collide in the quarterfinals of the German Tennis Championships on Friday afternoon. Almagro leads the head-to-head series 5-3, including 4-2 on clay. They most recently faced each other three months ago on the clay courts of Barcelona, where Almagro prevailed in a quarterfinal clash 6-3, 7-5.
The defending champion of this event, Monaco is once again showcasing some of his best stuff in Hamburg. The 20th-ranked Argentine endured a dismal, injury-plagued start to the year, but he has improved his 2013 record to 18-15 thanks to wins this week over Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Benoit Paire. Almagro booked his spot in the last eight by taking out both Tobias Kamke and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in straight sets. The 15th-ranked Spaniard is a stellar 31-14 for the season, which includes runner-up finishes in Houston and Barcelona. Monaco has no surface advantage in this one like he would over others on the slow stuff, and although he is comfortable at this tournament, Almagro is simply too consistent at the moment.
Pick: Almagro in 3
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(12) Fabio Fognini vs. (2) Tommy Haas
Fognini and Haas will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time in the last two weeks when they meet again on Friday. They just faced each other in the Stuttgart quarterfinals, where Fognini rolled 6-2, 6-4 on his way to his first ATP title. The 25th-ranked Italian has not looked back at a different German venue, with victories this week at the expense of Albert Ramos and Marcel Granollers. Fognini has dropped no sets and just 10 total games in two matches.
Haas, who has won four of his 14 career ATP titles on home soil in Germany, is bouncing back nicely from his loss to Fognini. The 35-year-old held off Blaz Kavcic in his Hamburg opener then hammered Bastad champion Carlos Berlocq 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday. Haas boasts a 33-13 record for his 2013 campaign and he is up to No. 11 in the world. Fognini’s talent is undeniable, but he is a mercurial performer whose hot streaks can end in flash. The 12th-seed may steal a set with his shot-making ability, but an inspired Haas should be able to use his all-court game to exact some revenge.
Pick: Haas in 3
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