A surprising semifinal in Metz pits David Goffin against unseeded upstart Jan-Lennard Struff on Saturday. Gael Monfils and Joao Sousa are also aiming for a place in the title match.
(8) David Goffin vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
Goffin and Struff will be squaring off for the second time in their careers and for the first time at the ATP main-draw level when they battle for a spot in the final of the Moselle Open on Saturday. Their only previous encounter came earlier this season in Miami, where Goffin successfully qualified with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. The 45th-ranked Belgian was struggling for the most part at the time, but he is now in the form of his life. Goffin is 32-2 since Wimbledon, with three Challenger titles and an ATP triumph to his credit. So far in Metz, the eighth seed has taken out Florent Serra, Tobias Kamke, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
One year older than Goffin at 24, Struff appears to be more of a late-bloomer but he is on course for a stellar end to 2014. The German is up to a career-high ranking of No. 61 in the world thanks in part to a second-round showing at the U.S. Open and a runner-up performance last week at a clay-court Challenger event in Poland. Struff ousted Dusan Lajovic and Jeremy Chardy in Metz before getting some help from countryman Philipp Kohlschreiber in the form of a first-set retirement on Friday. The 6’5” underdog can be competitive in this one if he serves huge and at a high percentage, but Goffin’s baseline game is world-class right now and his incredible momentum is only growing after recovering from a set deficit to win the last two against Tsonga.
Pick: Goffin in 2
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(6) Joao Sousa vs. (2) Gael Monfils
Monfils and Sousa will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this season on an indoor hard court in France. They previously faced each other in Montpellier, where Monfils prevailed 6-3, 6-2. The 18th-ranked Frenchman is playing great tennis at the moment on the heels of a quarterfinal finish at the U.S. Open, where did not drop a single set before succumbing to Roger Federer in five. Monfils earned his place in the Metz semis by taking out Michal Przysiezny and Jerzy Janowicz.
Sousa fared well during last year’s fall swing and he is off to a strong start to the 2014 finishing stretch, but to say it has not been easy would be an understatement. After cruising past Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-2, Portugal’s top player outlasted Igor Sijsling and Paul-Henri Mathieu in consecutive third-set tiebreakers. Sousa saved four match points while serving at 5-6 in the third against Mathieu on Friday. Playing at home, a red-hot Monfils should have more than enough to capitalize on a fatigued opponent.
Pick: Monfils in 2
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