A couple of all-seeded affairs will be part of the Winston-Salem quarterfinal schedule on Thursday. No. 1 Benoit Paire is facing familiar foe Pablo Carreno Busta, while Hubert Hurkacz battles Frances Tiafoe for a place in the semis.
(1) Benoit Paire vs. (11) Pablo Carreno Busta
Paire and Carreno Busta will be squaring off for the 11th time in their careers at the ATP level (13th time overall) when they clash in the quarterfinals of the Winston-Salem Open on Thursday afternoon. The head-to-head series stands at 7-3 in favor of Paire, who has won four in a row at Carreno Busta’s expense. Paire prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-1 on the red clay of Barcelona this spring before getting a retirement in round three of the French Open with the score knotted at a set apiece.
The 30th-ranked Frenchman is one of the most active players on tour, so it is no surprise that he is suiting up the week before a Grand Slam. Paire has lost 20 matches in 2019, but he has also won 27 following victories this week over Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ugo Humbert. Carreno Busta punched his ticket to the last eight by defeating Marius Copil and Lorenzo Sonego. The 64th-ranked Spaniard is coming off a third-round performance in Cincinnati as a qualifier and he also reached the Hamburg semifinals. This is a good opportunity for Carreno Busta to pull off minor upset of Paire, who has not won three non-retirement matches at a tournament since capturing the Lyon title in May.
Pick: Carreno Busta in 3
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(10) Frances Tiafoe vs. (3) Hubert Hurkacz
Speaking of retirements, both Hurkacz and Tiafoe benefited from such developments on Wednesday in Winston-Salem. Feliciano Lopez called it quits against Hurkacz while trailing 6-3, 3-1; Filip Krajinovic waived the white flag with Tiafoe leading by a set (6-2). It has been an especially fortuitous week for Tiafoe, who also got a retirement from Jeremy Chardy at 4-2 in the first set on the heels of an opening-round bye. The 52nd-ranked American, who beat Gael Monfils in Cincinnati before falling to Roberto Bautista Agut, can even his 2019 record at 18-18 with a win on Thursday.
One year older than Tiafoe at 22, Hurkacz has climbed to No. 41 in the rankings. Twenty of his 28 career main-tour match victories have come this season, a number that is highlighted by a quarterfinal run at the Indian Wells Masters. Hurkacz has now won multiple matches at four of his last six events. Tiafoe has been unable to get into a rhythm in Winston-Salem and Hurkacz is playing the kind of tennis that will allow him to take advantage.
Pick: Hurkacz in 3
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PCB in 2; Tiafoe in 2.