Well Well...

How we meet again! Big revenge to be taken for Daniil (once again with his victory against Norrie in R1), following Tien's sensational match against him in the OA. Have the cards been reshuffled?

As you know, this week feels like a redemption for the Russian. Already playing a good game last week in Hangzhou, he's progressing further here, beating Norrie, Fokina, and Zverev in straight sets each time. This slow surface suits him like a glove. He returns a lot of serves, and has even added a good dose of aggression to his shots. And then, there's one unmistakable sign: his emotional management on the court. He's finally stable, ready to be reborn. Opposite, Tien is also having an excellent tournament. You might think he's playing luck by beating a Cerundolo who's just returned from the Laver Cup, a Cobolli prone to unforced errors, and a Musetti who's retiring, but the truth is that he's largely responsible for each of his victories. What I really liked was that he agreed to attack regularly against Musetti and come to the net. He hit some smashes and volleys from far away from the net, which, to me, show a player with full confidence. Usually, he would have dropped the ball and "assured himself." So we will have two men in form, excellent defenders, on a slow surface. Daniil has a definite advantage with his quality of service which can bring him more free points, especially since he doesn't hesitate to send behind now. So we will have a slightly modified matchup between the two, with clearly, for me, the toughest opponent that Daniil has faced in this tournament. Knowing his position as a big favorite, rather logical, I think that the score could be a little close, and would go for a bet in this direction.