Open draw

Muller or Jodar in the semi-final for the winner, this is the chance of a season!

Great performance from Van Assche, who beat a Griekspoor having one of his bad days. The Dutchman was just coming back from injury and it was pretty obvious! Way too many silly errors and only a somewhat interesting second set – otherwise it was weak, though we should also highlight Van Assche’s solidity: he made him crack and is finally marking his comeback after a few tough years. The Frenchman gains power thanks to the altitude and I think his flat, skimming shots are really working this week; he’s a pain to handle and I’ve got a really good feeling about him this week.

A bit like Carabelli, who’s just come out of another tough battle, and with him we know we have to take him seriously when he’s motivated – his level on clay can go very high. Physically he seems okay too, even if his thigh could start bothering him at any moment. The Argentinian is the favorite in this match, he’s been playing better than Luca since the start of the season and can reach a higher ceiling than him on clay. This will be their first meeting; I’m expecting a long, tactical battle. Carabelli likes to dictate with his forehand, but on Van Assche’s balls he’ll have less time to run around his backhand. Over the long haul I’m torn, because Carabelli has already spent a lot of energy at the start of this tournament and I’m not sure he’ll be the fresher one – something to keep an eye on.