The final four are set in Washington, here’s a preview for todays semi-finals of the Mubadala DC Open, Taylor Fritz vs. Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar vs. Alejandro Tabilo with our predictions and best bets.
Taylor Fritz vs Brandon Nakashima
This all-American clash brings together two players who know each other’s games very well. The World no 10 will enter as odds favorite and comes from a tough match against Michelsen where he saved one match point in his 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(6) win to reach the semi’s.
On the other side, Brandon Nakashima is playing some of the best tennis of his career at the moment. He has been looking very solid the whole tournament, great on both forehand and backhand, in his wins over Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Jakub Mensik and Alex de Minaur.
This will be their fifth meeting and Fritz holds a 3-1 lead in total. However, Nakashima won their last meeting on outdoor hard-courts, at the Cincinnati event two years ago.
Predictions and best bets
Fritz will need to land a high percentage of first serves to prevent Nakashima from getting deep into return games and extended baseline rallies. The World no 33 seem to love the DC courts and will like his chances to cause an upset and reach the final.
Fritz has the big-match experience at this level but we’ve seen some small injury concerns (knee), and Nakashima’s form looks dangerous. I think if this will be a tight and long three set match, he will have a real chance to progress.
My bet: Nakashima (+2.5) game hcp at 1.75 (-137.5)
Rafael Jodar vs Alejandro Tabilo
Rafa Jodar is once again producing some impressive performances and it’s hard not to cheer for this young player. This is his second ATP semifinal this season, following a great comeback against Musetti where he turned things around completely after a slow start. The Spaniard is playing with real maturity and confidence, and he’s defending really well when needed. (More on Jodar’s racquet)
Meanwhile, Alejandro Tabilo has shown some great form as well, somewhat surprisingly seeing some form of recent. We know he can go on deep runs, not only on clay. He’s a dangerous lefty to face and we’ve seen this level from him from time to time on tour, where he takes early control with his serve and strong forehand.
This is their second meeting, as they met at the Indian Wells this season, where Tabilo won easily 6-1, 6-2. At that time Jodar was outside the top 100 though, and we’ve seen a remarkable rise from him and his game overall since then.
Predictions and best bets
Tabilo has shown in their previous match that his left-handed patterns can really disrupt and create problems for Jodar. I think the Spaniard is a much improved player since then, in fantastic form, and has so far looked very comfortable under pressure against various playing styles.
It’s an interesting game with Jodar’s consistency and Tabilo’s aggressive first-strike tennis.
My bet: Jodar to win in three sets, at odds 3.60 (+260)
