Stuttgart QF previews and predictions: Auger-Aliassime vs. Brown, Pouille vs. Struff

It should be an entertaining one when Felix Auger-Alassime and Dustin Brown battle for a semifinal spot in Stuttgart on Friday. In a mostly surprising lineup, an all-unseeded affair pits Lucas Pouille against Jan-Lennard Struff.

(Q) Dustin Brown vs. (7) Felix Auger-Aliassime

Grass-court season is Dustin Brown season, and 2019 is proving to be no exception in the early stages. Although Brown is wallowing down at No. 170 in the world, grass may be just what the doctor ordered who a player who once toppled Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and can easier implement his net-charging tactics on the slick stuff. Following a first-round defeat of John Millman at the Mercedes Cup, Brown upset top-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 on Thursday.

Up next for the 34-year-old is a fist-ever meeting with an opponent 16 years his junior–Auger-Aliassime. A grass-court novice compared to Brown, Auger-Aliassime’s Stuttgart opener against Ernests Gulbis marked his first main-tour match on this surface. The 21st-ranked Canaian won it 7-5, 6-3 and then beat Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-4. Still, Auger-Aliassime’s serve is a liability at times and that could haunt him in a grass-court match in which breaks will be at a premium.

Pick: Brown in 3

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Jan-Lennard Struff vs. (WC) Lucas Pouille

Pouille and Struff will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in favor of Pouille, including 3-0 at the ATP level and 2-0 on grass–including via a 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(8) decision in the same round of this same Stuttgart event two years ago. The Frenchman went on to capture the title, now one of five to his credit. The 2019 campaign, however, has been a difficult one for Pouille. His record is still under .500 at 9-10 despite three-set wins this week over Feliciano Lopez and Daniil Medvedev.

Struff, on the other hand, is enjoying by far his best year on tour. The German has been outstanding on all surfaces and he is showing no signs of slowing down on the heels of a stellar grass-court campaign. Struff punched his ticket to the Stuttgart quarterfinals by taking care of Denis Shapovalov and Mimoir Kecamonovic in straight sets. The world No. 38 has been far more dominant than Pouille so far and his serve will likely be too big on grass for an opponent who is still struggling just a bit.

Pick: Struff in 2

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