Damien Kayat previews the Barcelona Open quarter-final betwenn Arthur Fls and Dusan Lajovic taking palce on 19 April 2024.
ATP 500 – Barcelona Open
Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Quarterfinal – 19 April
Arthur Fils 56/100 | Dusan Lajovic 27/20
Arthur Fils is quickly developing into one of the most exciting prospects in world tennis. He has an aggressive, power-based game that is built around a solid serve and humungous forehand. That forehand wing also gets ludicrous topspin, allowing him to really impose himself on clay.
A runner-up at the French Open juniors in 2021, the Frenchman won his maiden title at last year’s Lyon Open. And he made history at the recent Monte-Carlo Masters, becoming the youngest man since Richard Gasquet in 2005 to win a match in the Principality. \
He started a bit shakily this week, needing three sets to take down the enigmatic Daniel Altmaier. But he just stunned Rafael Nadal’s conqueror Alex de Minaur, redirecting the ball with massive forehands to pick up one of the biggest wins in his career. He was extremely solid on serve, winning 71% on his first delivery.
He has the ability to become a top ten player (especially if he develops that backhand wing a little).
33-year-old journeyman Dusan Lajovic has looked absolutely brilliant this week, elevating what has been a pretty subdued season. An avowed clay-court specialist, Lajovic came into this event off the back of three consecutive defeats.
But the heavy-hitting baseliner always reserves his best results for clay (he reached back-to-back quarter-finals during the Golden Swing). He memorably took down Novak Djokovic en route to the Banja Luka Open title last year. He just has that inalienable ability to compete with anyone on this surface.
He thrashed a desperately out-of-form Diego Schwartzman before diffusing the power of Ugo Humbert. He dug in against the unpredictable Davidovich Fokina, using all his clay-court nous to wear down the oft-erratic Spaniard.
Verdict: Fils to win in straight sets 27/20
These two share the head-to-head spoils at one win apiece. Fils won their maiden encounter in Hamburg last season but Lajovic returned the favour in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
This should be a fascinating encounter, with Fils’ venomous forehand going toe-to-toe with Lajovic’s powerful backhand. I was tempted to back veteran Lajovic. But I ultimately think that Fils has the weaponry to overpower the veteran Serb.
