No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz continues his campaign in Basel against Ugo Humbert on Thursday, while Ben Shelton takes on Jaume Munar as the action heats up on indoor hard courts. The quarter-finals are on the line.
(1) Taylor Fritz vs. Ugo Humbert
Taylor Fritz had to work hard to stave off a legitimate challenge from Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot in the first round of the Swiss Indoors Basel. He advanced to French player Ugo Humbert in the round of 16. Fritz is still trying to secure his spot in the Nitto ATP Finals, so he will be motivated to achieve good results at the end of the season.
Humbert had an easier time in his first round match. He scored a straight win over Sebastian Korda, but keep in mind he was just coming off a run to the final in Stockholm last week, so fatigue could still be a factor as the week progresses. Both Fritz and Humbert play well indoors, but the American has been the much more consistent of the two. Fritz is a fit player, so he needs to recover from his match on Wednesday. If he serves well, you can expect the best player to add a third straight victory to his record over Humbert.
Cheryl pick: Fritz in 2
Ricky choice: Fritz in 3
(2) Well, Shelton vs. James Munare
Like Fritz, Ben Shelton is also trying to secure a place for Turin in November. The world number 6 has not played well since he was forced to tearfully withdraw from his third round match at the US Open with a shoulder injury. He may just be shaking off the rust, but Shelton’s success depends on his ability to plant bombs on demand – and a sore shoulder isn’t good news on that front.
Jaume Munar, number 42 in the world, is a classic clay player, but he has made his debut on hard courts this year. That includes a solid run to the round of 16 in Shanghai – where he lost to Novak Djokovic – and a fourth-round appearance at the US Open. Munar has a 2-1 record over Shelton and both of the Spaniard’s wins came earlier this season. With Shelton still searching for his form since his injury, this is a good opportunity for Munar to pull off an upset.
Cheryl pick: Munar in 3
Ricky pick: Munar in 3
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