Traditional clay-courters have been taking care of business for the most part in Quito, but Bernard Tomic is still alive and will go up against Paolo Lorenzi during quarterfinal action on Friday. Thomaz Bellucci and Pablo Carreno Busta are also on the schedule.
(1) Bernard Tomic vs. (6) Paolo Lorenzi
Tomic and Lorenzi will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the first time at the ATP level when they clash in the Ecuador Open quarterfinals on Friday. Their only previous meeting came six years ago on clay in the Napoli Challenger, with Lorenzi cruising 6-2, 6-4. The Italian once again has the advantage of playing on the slow stuff, but Tomic is obviously a far more established player at this point. Up to No. 20 in the world, the 23-year-old Australian owns three career titles (all at this 250-point level) and he is a stellar 8-3 this season with a semifinal performance in Brisbane and a fourth-round showing at the Aussie Open.
While Tomic earned a first-round bye as the top seed before holding off Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, Lorenzi has advanced with straight-set victories over Gonzalo Escobar and Alejandro Falla. The 34-year-old had been 0-2 at the ATP level for his 2016 campaign, but those losses came on hard courts and he now has his favorite surface under his feet. Lorenzi is coming off a runner-up finish at a clay-court Challenger in Colombia. Clay will level the playing field, but this is a steep step up in competition for the sixth seed and Tomic should be motivated to do well this week now that he has one match under his belt.
Pick: Tomic in 3
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(3) Thomaz Bellucci vs. (8) Pablo Carreno Busta
Bellucci and Carreno Busta will be squaring off for just the second time in their careers at any level on Friday. Their only previous encounter came three years ago on the clay courts of Barcelona, where Bellucci pulled out a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 victory. At 35th in the world and on the brink of Grand Slam seeding, Bellucci earned the No. 3 seed in Quito–and with it a first-round bye. The Brazilian followed it up by cruising past Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-4.
Carreno Busta has advanced with wins at the expense of Rogerio Dutra Silva (6-3, 6-1) and Inigo Cervantes (6-7(5), 7-6(2), 6-2). The 67th-ranked Spaniard had been 0-2 for the year prior to this week, but he got bad draws in Doha (Rafael Nadal) and at the Australian Open (Nick Kyrgios). Clay obviously gives Carreno Busta a much better chance of success, and this should be a high-quality baseline battle. Bellucci is more rested than his opponent, who is also in the doubles semis, and should have a slight edge.
Pick: Bellucci in 3
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