Not too surprisingly given the lack of depth in Los Cabos, seven of the eight seeds have advanced to the quarterfinals. Among the all-seeded showdowns on Thursday are Alex de Minaur vs. Tommy Paul and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Nicolas Jarry.
(5) Alex de Minaur vs. (3) Tommy Paul
The last Mexico matchup between De Minaur and Paul did not disappoint. It came in the Acapulco final earlier this season, when De Minaur captured the title following an energy-sapping three-setter. That improved the 19th-ranked Aussie’s head-to-head record to 4-0, having also prevailed three times last year on three different surfaces (Indian Wells, Rome, and Eastbourne).
Paul has been playing well for the most part this season heading into quarterfinal competition at the Mifel Tennis Open on Thursday night. However, he has cooled off a bit since making a semifinal run at the Australian Open. Conditions in Los Cabos are perfect for De Minaur, who can wear down opponents in the heat. That’s what he has done against Paul in the past and it will likely happen again on Thursday.
Pick: De Minaur in 2
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(1) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (6) Nicolas Jarry
Tsitsipas and Jarry will complete the 2023 Triple Crown of head-to-head matchups, as they have already faced each other on clay and grass. After Tsitsipas got the job done 6-3, 6-4 in Monte-Carlo, Jarry pulled off a 7-6(7), 7-5 upset in Halle. The overall head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Jarry, who also scored a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2019.
This should be a good one in Los Cabos, where conditions are favorable for both players. Jarry’s big-serving game works well in the heat and humidity, while Tsitsipas has always seemed to play well in Mexico. The top-seeded Greek handled John Isner’s serve during a 6-2, 6-4 win on Wednesday, and while Jarry is a much better all-around player than Isner at this point it is still an encouraging sign for Tsitsipas.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 3
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Demon in 2; Tpas in 3.