There will be at least one surprising quarter -finalist at the Toronto Masters 1000 after Alex Michelsen and student ten on Saturday collide. Capser Ruud and Karen Khahanov are also in action in the fourth round.
(26) Alex Michelsen vs. student ten
It will be a confrontation between good friends and on-the-rise California Kids when Michelsen and ten on Saturday fight for a place in the National Bank Open Quarterfinales. They have received squared on two earlier occasions and split those first two games on one victory each; Tien prevailed 2-4, 4-2, 1-4, 4-0, 4-1 out of 2024 NextGen ATP Finals before Michelsen rode 6-4, 6-2 on Houston’s red clay this spring.
At the time, ten actually had no clay-court experience and he now plays much better, so that the result of Houston can almost be thrown out of the window. The 19-year-old Lefty predictably fell a bit on clay and grass, but he has restored confidence to hard courts with a third round of effort in Washington, DC (d. Andrey Rublev) and Toronto victories on Denis Shapovalov and Reilly Opelka. Michelsen comes back-to-back tough matches against Tomas Barrios Vera and Lorenzo Musetti. On his favorite hard surface, ten may be too solid from the back of course for his co-American.
Pick: Ten in 3
(11) Karen Khachanov versus (8) Casper Ruud
Ruud and Khachanov also confronted each other twice before and this is a rematch of the 2022 US Open Semifinals, won by Ruud 7-6 (5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. The 13th arranged Norwegian also defeated Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the Rome Masters 2021. However, he could be vulnerable for a turn of the tide. Ruud is struggling outside the top 10, has tackled a knee injury since Roland Garros and has arranged no one more beaten than the 30th since his triumph at the Madrid Masters.
Khachanov played well at this Canada Masters event, with two semi -final impressions. The 16th ranking is back in the last 16 after victories over Juan Pablo Ficovich and Emilio Nava, while Ruud has been advanced by expelling Roman Safiullin and Nuno Borges. Khachanov has reached at least the quarterfinals of three consecutive tournaments, so he is the more form of these two players and – with a physical position, is 100 percent in contrast to Ruud.
Pick: Khachanov in 2
#Toronto #Tennis #Picks #Michelsen #Tien #Ruuud #Khachhas