Fresh off an upset of Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas will try to keep his Toronto run going when he faces Alexander Zverev during quarterfinal action on Friday. Meanwhile, Kevin Anderson is going up against Grigor Dimitrov.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
Tsitsipas is storming into prominence this season and he took his meteoric rise to new heights with the biggest win of his career on Thursday at the Rogers Cup–a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 upset of Novak Djokovic. The 19-year-old owns three victories over higher-ranked opponents (Djokovic is currently 10th), but beating a former world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion to reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event is as good as it gets so far for Tsitsipas. He is now 28-18 for the season and 9-2 in his last 11 matches, a stretch that includes a semifinal showing in Washington, D.C. and additional wins this week over Damir Dzumhur and Dominic Thiem.
Next up for Tsitsipas on Friday is a second career contest against Zverev, who just ended the Greek’s Washington, D.C. run with a 6-2, 6-4 rout. Zverev went on to lift the trophy last week, just as he did at that same 500-point tournament in 2017. The 21-year-old German maintained momentum from last summer’s triumph in D.C. by winning the Rogers Cup, so there is no reason to think that fatigue will suddenly set in this time around. After all, Zverev has dropped only one set during his current seven-match winning streak and he has surrendered just 13 total games through two rounds in Toronto. This should be more competitive than last Saturday’s battle, but Zverev simply looks too good right now and Tsitsipas has to make a quick turnaround following his huge result against Djokovic.
Pick: Zverev in 3
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(5) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (4) Kevin Anderson
Anderson and Dimitrov will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers on Friday. Dimitrov is dominating the head-to-head series 6-1 at the ATP level, including 3-1 on hard courts (2-0 outdoors) and 1-0 at the Rogers Cup. Their 2014 quarterfinal clash in Toronto was nothing short of infamous, as both players took turns enduring incredible chokes and Anderson double-faulted seven times–including on match point–en route to a 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(5) loss.
This one should produce higher quality, mainly because Anderson is displaying the best form of his career. The sixth-ranked South African is coming off a runner-up performance at Wimbledon and he has improved to 31-11 for the year with Toronto victories over Evgeny Donskoy (in a third-set tiebreaker) and Ilya Ivashka. Dimitrov’s season has been a struggle on the heels of a 2017 triumph at the Nitto ATP Finals, but he has done extremely well this week to scrape past Fernando Verdasco and Frances Tiafoe in final-set tiebreakers. Although fifth-ranked Bulgarian got away with some lapses on serve against his first two opponents, a red-hot Anderson will not be as generous and should be able to capitalize on Dimitrov’s depleted gas tank.
Pick: Anderson in 2
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WWW?
AZ in 3. I hope it’ll be an interesting match.
KA in 2. Doubt it’ll be interesting.
Isner just lost to Khachanov. Shapo lost to Haase.
Rafa is just about ready to start.
Vamos Rafa!
I wasn’t surprised that Shapo lost, as he’s not playing well this season except strangely on clay ( not his fave surface). But, I’m surprised at Isner losing to Khachanov and Khachanov hasn’t done well lately.
So now Rafa is left with one top ten player (Cilic) to worry about in his half of the draw. Strange how the draw plays out, with Delpo withdrawing and Isner losing. And, Djoko losing early in the other half of the draw; will it help Sasha?
Will Tsitsipas learn a thing or two after losing to Sasha at CitiOpen last week? I hope Tsitsipas plays better against Sasha here.
Tsitsipas to revenge Zverev in 3 & Dimitrov to continue his miracle run in 3 sets as well
Its looking more and more like an ‘anything can happen tournament’…
Zverev and Dimitrov in three
Zverev in 2.
Anderson in 3.
Sasha and Anderson in three.
like you guys usually but you have seriously undersold Grigor here. Insight should be no matter how the match plays out that Grigor hasn’t had the excessive hours anderson has sustained in Wimb, prior to that and after, grigor has been a let down in form sometimes this season, but H2H shows that in any serious match between them grigor in 3 makes more sense than andreson in 2. we shall see! 🙂
Sasha playing like this, he’ll finish off Tsitsipas in straight sets! Tsitsipas looking out of sorts. He would beat Djoko too had they met, he’s simply playing very well. I think he’ll beat Anderson to reach the final.
Or not…I think AZv will still win in 3…but we may be looking at the next great rivalry. Or not.
I think we could be watching a great next rivalry but Stef has a ways to catch up with Sascha.
I did watch Tsitsipas beat Nole. And I thought Tsitsipas wasn’t holding back and played the best I’d seen him play since clay season. Stefanos was giving up real estate to Sascha just like he played the last time – and I thought it was over. Then Tsitsipas is finally able get it that he needs to come in and not stand so far back ALL the time. I still think Sascha will win but Stefanos has done a better job of coming forward and not playing nervous tennis like he did vs Sascha in D.C.
He’s still nervous though. Stefanos is not this nervous v anyone else… that I’ve seen anyway. There it is. Sascha breaks first in the third set.
I’ll be surprised if Stefanos can get the break back and win. He’ll need help from Sascha.
Well Tsitsipas did just break back!
I think Stefanos has done well to take it to a third set. He may be showing some nerves, but so is Zverev.
Yes they are both unsettled at this point!
I;m so proud of how Stefanos played Nole. I don’t care if Nole doesn’t win all these tournaments. I would like Nole to win Cincinnati, tho.
But I’m becoming a Tsitsi fan. Maybe it’s too soon to be attached – I don’t know if he’s the real deal or not. Sascha should win this. But Stefanos has done a better job v Sascha either way – win or lose.
Wow what a point Stef!! Hold your nerve buddy
Not too soon, RC. I cannot see how this kid will not be a total star and I’m not just saying that. Because he’s 19 years old and he didn’t just beat one top ten player. He didn’t just beat two. He beat three freaking top ten players. Unreal
In a row I mean. To beat three in a row is what makes it so impressive. He had a tough tough draw with two of the favorites to win the whole entire thing and beats them consecutively.
What the heck, I just turned on the TV. And I really wish I hadn’t missed this one!! Tuning into the end and rooting hard for the Greek beast. Still just 19 years old, that’s crazy. These two are the future of the sport, and I’m sure it’s been a great one to watch because they have pretty contrasting styles.
You missed a great match. Zverev just choked away the match. DF on match point! How often do you see that from him?
Tsitsipas kept it together and stayed strong when Zverevhad break chances. The one thing that stood out was all the break chances Zverev had and could not convert.
Tsitsipas !!!!!
Tsitsi won!
Sascha should have challenged that last point – it was in.
And then another gift from Sascha 🙁
But congrats Tsitsi — 1st masters SF. Anderson will wipe him out, I fear.
Yes! I could not believe he did not challenge that out call! Then they showed a replay and it was in! That helped to cost him the win. He had challenges.
Zverev just seemed to break down at the end. Congratulations to Tsitsipas for another great win!
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to see if Sascha will kick his ass next time they meet, tho~ LOL Sascha messed up and gave away some ground and at least one point he should have challenged. But the think the German was having some nerves too.
Such a contrast from the easy way Sascha beat nervous Tsitsi in D.C 😀 interesting maybe exciting… match-up
ZVEREV WAS UP 6-3 5-2?! WHAT!! AND HE DIDNT CHALLENGE A BALL ON TOP OF THE LINE!! TSITSIPAS WINS AGAIN HOLY MOLY… Its crazy that I and most others were talking about a potential Zverev-Djokovic quarterfinal and Tsitsipas beats both!! This guy has beaten THREE CONSECUTIVE top ten players. He’s the real deal. Absolute superstar in the making.
Stefano won???!
I think I may be in love…
Well, sorta. Rather more accurate to say AZ lost this one. But Tsitsi did very, very well, considering his age and relative lack of experience. He’s got some developing to do still but looks to me like the sky’s the limit.
Yes, I think that Zverev lost this. Much like Tiafoe lost to Dimi.
But I do give Tsitsipas credit for hanging in there. It was also Zverev’s inability to convert all those break chances that cost him.
😂 😂 😂 underrated comment Amy
You called him a Greek God yesterday benny!😀
amy,
Me too!
😍
He is kinda mouthwatering nny!!😀
Ps if Rafa loses tonite I will be very cross!!
amy,
Me too!
😧
Indeed, he did not challenge. And he had plenty of challenges left. It was a rookie mistake from Sascha!!
I can’t believe it. Sascha, you goof – you are supposed to beat this guy hehehe
Ah but yeah I like the Greek kid too.