Semifinal previews and predictions: Murray vs. Humbert, Cilic vs. Rublev

Andy Murray will bid for his first final appearance since hip surgery when he faces Ugo Humbert on Saturday in Stockholm. At the Kremlin Cup, meanwhile, one of the semifinal showdowns pits Marin Cilic against Andrey Rublev.

European Open: (PR) Andy Murray vs. Ugo Humbert

The last time Murray outlasted Marius Copil in a thriller he could not play the next day. But that 2018 Washington, D.C. showdown lasted three hours and two minutes, ended after 3:00 in the morning, and the Scot was playing on a destroyed hip. Friday’s 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-4 victory over Copil in the Antwerp quarterfinals on Friday did not last quite as long (two hours and 35 minutes), ended at a reasonable hour in the evening, and Murray is now playing on an artificial hip.

That means the 32-year-old should be good to go for Saturday’s semifinal date with Humbert, who wrapped up his 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal defeat of Guido Pella around midnight. Whereas Murray has been getting better and better with each passing week in his comeback, Humbert has struggled since a breakout fourth-round performance at Wimbledon. The 70th-ranked Frenchman was just 2-5 in his last seven ATP-level matches prior to arriving in Antwerp, where he preceded the Pella result by beating Jozef Kovalik and David Goffin in straight sets. This is a big opportunity for Murray, who should be able to return Humbert’s serve in typical fashion and break the youngster down from the back of the court.

Pick: Murray in 2

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VRB Kremlin Cup: (6) Andrey Rublev vs. (3) Marin Cilic

Cilic and Rublev will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when they clash in the Moscow semifinals on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at one win apiece; Cilic prevailed 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-1 four years ago on the red clay of Geneva before Rublev cruised 6-4, 6-4 earlier this season at the Miami Masters. The 21-year-old Russian will not be a part of the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan because he turns 22 next month, but he probably won’t mind because it was and has been a long–and successful–summer and fall. Rublev has won multiple matches at six of his last seven events, including a quarterfinal run in Cincinnati and a fourth-round U.S. Open showing.

Cilic will almost certainly be left out of the Nitto ATP Finals, which is a rare occurrence for him. The 25th-ranked Croat is a modest 21-16 for the season, with his highest point totals coming from fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and U.S. Open plus a quarterfinal finish in Madrid (all 180 ranking points). Cilic is coming off a tough 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(2) battle with Jeremy Chardy on Friday, which is all the more reason why a red-hot Rublev should get the job done.

Pick: Rublev in 2

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