Tokyo QF previews and predictions: Shapovalov vs. Struff, Raonic vs. Medvedev

Fellow Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Milos Raonic are on a collision course for the Tokyo semifinals. They first have to get past unseeded opponents Jan-Lennard Struff and Daniil Medvedev, respectively, on Friday.

Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Denis Shapovalov

Shapovalov and Struff will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they collide in the Japan Open quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. Both players have advanced the hard way, requiring a combined four three-setters in four matches. Struff ousted No. 1 seed Marin Cilic with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(1) upset before beating Jeremy Chardy 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 6-4 in the second round. The 56th-ranked German has now advanced at least one round in five consecutive tournaments (including one Challenger runner-up), a stretch that features third-round performances in Winston-Salem and at the U.S. Open.

Also faced with a difficult draw, Shapovalov defeated Hyeon Chung 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and then got the best of Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The 19-year-old Canadian is already up to No. 31 in the world and he is on the way to a second consecutive berth in the Nitto ATP Finals in Milan with a stellar 33-23 main-tour record this season. Shapovalov has one more day of rest than Struff heading into this showdown and a greater margin for error on his shots should help get him through the tense moments of what will likely be a competitive contest.

Pick: Shapovalov in 3

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(Q) Daniil Medvedev vs. (6) Milos Raonic

Raonic and Medvedev will also be squaring off for the first time in their careers on Thursday. Both men are surging toward the finish line of the 2018 campaign, with Raonic remaining in distant Nitto ATP Finals contention. The 20th-ranked Canadian is armed with a clean bill of health and has capitalized by reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals, the Cincinnati quarters, the U.S. Open fourth round, and now the last eight in Tokyo. He has advanced this week by beating both Adrian Mannarino and Yosuke Watanuki in straight sets.

Medvedev began the season with his first career title in Sydney and he is wrapping it up in similar fashion, with a second triumph in Winston-Salem among his results. The 32nd-ranked Russian also reached the U.S. Open third round and the St. Petersburg quarterfinals (lost to Dominic Thiem in a final-set tiebreaker). So far in Tokyo, Medvedev has defeated Diego Schwartzman and Martin Klizan in easy straight sets. This will be a high-quality affair, but Raonic has 32 aces and just four double-faults through two matches and his serve (75 percent against Mannarino) should make the difference.

Pick: Raonic in 2

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