The ATP 250 in Adelaide has reached the semifinal stage, and a new name will be etched on the trophy. Only one of the four men in that conversation has never lifted an ATP title. Who will reach the final?

ATP Adelaide Semifinal Predictions
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Ugo Humbert

Head-to-head: Davidovich Fokina 3-1 Humbert

Davidovich Fokina prevailed against Valentin Vacherot in straight sets in the last round. There was little to separate them in the first set, where there were 12 consecutive holds and only one mini break was the difference in the tiebreak. Vacherot’s level dipped in the second set as Davidovich Fokina eased to a 7-6 6-2 win. Ugo Humbert was also a straight-sets victor, although his was much more routine against Alexander Shevchenko. The Frenchman dropped just three games in a dominant 58-minute effort.

Humbert retired with an injury in their last ATP match in Basel last season, but he was fit to defeat Davidovich Fokina at the Macau Exhibition in December. The Frenchman’s lefty serve and first-strike forehand will likely secure him enough holds in this match. And with little to choose between them, Humbert’s higher cumulative time spent on court this season could also benefit him.
Prediction: Humbert in 3

 

Tommy Paul vs Tomas Machac

Head-to-head: Machac 2-1 Paul

Tommy Paul is building on his fitness ahead of the Australian Open. This is only his second ATP tournament since last year’s US Open. He is back in the Adelaide semifinals for the third time in his career. He saw off Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic in straight sets to pick up his second win of the new season. Paul’s track record in this tournament is decent. He has made the last four in three of five previous visits and hasn’t lost before the quarterfinal. But this stage has often been Paul’s biggest hurdle in the past. He lost in each of his last two semifinals in Adelaide.

Tomas Machac is also working on reaching peak fitness levels before the showdown begins in Melbourne, where he is drawn to face Grigor Dimitrov in a mouthwatering first round. Machac recorded a third straight set win this week by beating the tenacious Jaume Munar 6-4 6-4.

Paul and Machac are athletically gifted players, but the Czech plays with a physical constraint in the background. He’s been injury-prone, and normally, his shot selection narrows in these types of matches where he has to shorten points. The head-to-head doesn’t favor Paul, who has lost two matches against Machac on hard courts, but the American’s physical edge cannot be ignored in their latest meeting.
Prediction: Paul in 3

Main Photo Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images