by After a great week of tennis so far, we are among the semi-finalists at the ATP European Open in Antwerp. Jiri Lehecka will play against Marcos Giron and Roberto Bautista Agut will play against Hugo Gaston. As always, we at LWOT predict both semi-finals in this article, but which player do you think will advance to the final?
Predictions for the ATP semi-finals in Antwerp
Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Hugo Gaston
Head-to-head: first meeting
After defeating Luca Van Assche in the opening round, Bautista Agut pulled off two upsets against Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Felix Auger-Aliassime. The result against Auger-Aliassime was particularly surprising as the Canadian is an excellent indoor hard court player. Gaston also managed a clear surprise against Alex de Minaur in the preliminary round. He defeated Mariano Navone and Alexey Vatutin in the first two rounds in Antwerp.
Expect lots of long rallies between these two. Gaston has more versatility on the pitch, but Bautista Agut is more reliable and solid. Although Gaston has played great tennis throughout the tournament so far, the Spaniard can be trusted a little more to focus on the semi-finals again after both men had long quarter-final matches.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 3rd place
Embed from Getty Images
Jiri Lehecka vs. Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: Lechecka 1-1 Giron
After Lehecka returned from an injury break of several months, he performed well in North America and Asia. However, his level rose even further when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals with an excellent performance. The Czech defeated Jaume Munar and Daniel Altmaier in the previous two rounds. Giron triumphed against Botic van de Zandschulp, Arthur Rinderknech and Zizou Bergs and reached the semi-finals.
Neither man has lost a set during the event so far, meaning it’s likely to be a high-quality match. Lehecka is the stronger player, but Giron enjoys changing the pace and will pose a great challenge for his younger opponent. The Czech’s excellent performance against Tsitsipas and his higher top level than Giron’s make him the favorite, but the courageous and determined Giron is able to take advantage if Lehecka is slightly below his best.
Prediction: Lechecka in 3
Main photo credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports
