Thursday’s action at the ATP Stuttgart Open features multiple grass-court specialists and some big servers. Four spots in the quarterfinals are on the line, and as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, as well as all the action in Den Bosch. But who will advance?
ATP Stuttgart Day 4 Predictions
Richard Gasquet vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: Nakashima 2-1 Gasquet
Richard Gasquet was given a lifeline in Stuttgart after Alexander Zverev withdrew from the tournament on Monday. Despite his declining form and age, the Frenchman is always a grass court threat, making the Wimbledon semifinals in 2007 and 2015. Brandon Nakashima, meanwhile, claimed a great first-round win against grass-court specialist Christopher Eubanks, a troubling defeat for Eubanks who is defending a lot of ATP points in the coming weeks. Nakashima is the favourite on paper, but IGasquet will make this a close encounter.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Arthur Rinderknech vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Head-to-head: Rinderknech 1-0 Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff, last year a Stuttgart finalist, knows how to play at home in Germany. He should have lots of momentum after shaking off rust in his opening match, where he beat Flavio Cobolli 7-6 (7) 6-3. The smooth Arthur Rinderknech will pose a different challenge for the German, as the Frenchman has a big serve and can attack the net well making him more of a threat on the grass than the Italian. Struff will have to return well and take advantage of break points, but ultimately he can serve that much bigger than the Frenchman and he is no slouch at the net either.
Prediction: Struff in 2
Matteo Berrettini vs Denis Shapovalov
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 2-0 Berrettini
Both players could desperately use a win in this match. Matteo Berrettini scored a confidence-boosting win over Roman Safiullin in the first round, winning 7-5 in the third set. Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov took out Matteo Martineau in straight sets on Tuesday, with Martineau playing only the second match of his career at ATP tour-level. Both players tend to struggle when returning, but they can play aggressive tennis – the issue is consistency. The Italian has just a bit more experience on the grass courts, however, and he’ll have the extra confidence after winning this tournament in 2019 and 2022.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Embed from Getty Images
James Duckworth vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head: First meeting
James Duckworth has done well to reach this stage in the tournament, after qualifying for the main draw and taking out the dangerous Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 7-6 (2). While newer to the grass courts, however, Ben Shelton’s serve is just about perfect for the faster courts. The American will look to boost his ranking on the grass courts this season, after a subpar season on the grass in 2023. Duckworth is also 3-21 against Top 20 players, while Shelton hasn’t lost to a player outside the top 100 since last July.
Prediction: Shelton in 2
Main photo credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports