Washington, D.C. SF preview and prediction: Monfils vs. Zverev

Gael Monfils and Alexander Zverev are set for a blockbuster semifinal showdown on Saturday night in Washington D.C. The winner will battle either Steve Johnson or Ivo Karlovic for the 500-point title.

Gael Monfils and Alexander Zverev will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they collide in the Citi Open semifinals on Saturday. Monfils has won both of their previous encounters on indoor hard courts; 6-1, 7-6(12) last year in Marseille and 7-6(4), 6-3 earlier this season in the Rotterdam quarters.

“The night before actually I played against (Gilles) Simon for over three hours, 7-6 in the third,” Zverev reflected on his Rotterdam experience. “I cramped. So physically I was very tired. It’s going to be a different match this time.”

There is no doubt that Zverev has also shown drastic improvement in the brief time since he last faced Monfils. The 19-year-old German is already up to No. 27 in the world thanks in part to a fourth-round performance in Indian Wells and runner-up finishes in Nice and Halle. Zverev boasts 32 ATP-level match victories in 2016 following wins this week over Taylor Fritz, Malek Jaziri, and Benoit Paire.

“He’s a young gun,” Monfils commented. “He’s very solid; he’s very talented. It’s going to be a big one–big match. Definitely I’m going to work on the game-plan with my coach tonight. I think I have a little idea how [I’m going to play against him].”

Playing well against just about everyone has been the story for Monfils this year. He reached quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells Masters, and Miami Masters before finishing runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo. Injury and illness plagued Monfils from early May through Wimbledon, but he is back in business as the calendar approaches August. Aside from a one-set walkabout against Sam Querrey on Friday, the No. 2 has been dominant in D.C. while ousting Yen-Hsun Lu, Borna Coric, and then Querrey via a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 decision.

“I love (this) matchup,” Zverev assured. “It’s going to be entertaining; night match at 7:00 p.m. The crowd here is amazing; they stay up very late. Hopefully it will be an insanely match.”

It should be insanely entertaining for the fans, but it may not end well for Zverev. Not only is Monfils a perfect 2-0 so far against this week’s No. 7 seed, but he has also won 24 ATP semifinal matches throughout his career. It is finals that have been the Frenchman’s stumbling block. Monfils has been the best player this whole week and he should be eager to get back into the World Tour Finals discussion with a title–or, at the very least, another final appearance.

Pick: Monfils in 3

[polldaddy poll=9477033]