The ATP’s Sao Paulo tournament makes its way into the quarterfinals after a rain-delayed second round finally reached a conclusion. There were some surprises on hand in the round of 16, which included a number of matches that required the full three sets to decide. Out of the the eight matches on the board, only three of them were decided in two sets and both of those matches required a seventh game at least once. Iningo Cervantes was able to advance over Blaz Rolla in two tiebreakers (7-6, 7-6), Gastao Elias beat Santiago Giraldo in two sets (6-4, 6-3) and Pablo Cuevas topped Facundo Bagnis in straight sets (6-3, 7-5). Cuevo is in our tennis picks for Friday as we look to cash in as he faces a stiff test against Thiago Monteiro.
As we get to the quarterfinals, there are two higher seeds trying to take advantage of the hollowed-out field. Here are our tennis picks for the Brasil Open quarterfinals:
Roberto Carballes Baena vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
Odds: Carreno Busta -227
There is not a large group of people who expected Carballes Baena to beat second-seeded Thomaz Bellucci, but it happened. The Spanish underdog beat the Brazilian on his native soil, winning in three sets after losing the first set, 6-2. Will Carballes Baena have enough left to win yet again and overcome Pablo Carreno Busta? This is a matchup of relatively lower-level clay court players who know this is their best surface and their best chance to pocket both money and points this season. Expect a close three-set match, but the underdog might have used up too much energy against Bellucci. Give a slight edge to Carreno Busta and take him with tennis picks.
Pick: Carreno Busta in three sets
Pablo Cuevas vs. Thiago Monteiro
Odds: Cuevas -526
This could be the match of the day in the quarterfinal round. Cuevas is the best player left in the tournament. He just won the Rio tournament last week, having defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Cuevas owns the best shots and the most attack-oriented game of any player in the quarterfinals. He should be the favorite for this match, without question. However, Monteiro is playing inspired tennis. He beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earlier this month. He defeated Nicolas Almagro, the number seven seed, earlier this week in Sao Paulo. Cuevas is the third seed and the highest seed remaining, but Monteiro has shown that he’s a giant killer. Think of this match as David versus Goliath, and give David a real chance. Monteiro will take it to three sets, but Cuevas will have the answers in the end. Cuevas is still the man to beat in this tournament, and on his preferred playing surface, it’s probable that another player will have to play his very best to unseat the Uruguayan. Is Monteiro ready to be that kind of player? Maybe, but he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt, at least not just yet. Stick with Cuevas, tempting as it may be to pull the trigger on an upset call for your tennis picks.
Pick: Cuevas in three sets
Federico Delbonis vs. Inigo Cervantes
Odds: Delbonis -250
This is an intriguing match between the fourth-seeded Delbonis and the unseeded Cervantes, who has overachieved to this point in the tournament. Delbonis defeated Roger Federer in 2013 in Hamburg, Germany, on clay. That is the most famous and special victory of his professional career. However, Delbonis has not been able to build on that match the way he had hoped. He is still trying to move to the next level as a player, and the journey has been difficult. However, Delbonis beat a very solid Argentinian compatriot, Diego Schwartzman, in the second round. That’s the kind of win which should give him a lot of confidence heading into this match against Cervantes, who is a capable player but not as powerful as Delbonis. Take the fourth seed with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Delbonis in straight sets
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