Jenson Brroksby faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Brandon Nakashima goes head to head with Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals for the ATP Tour's European Open. Damien Kayat previews.
2021 ATP Tour
ATP 250 Series
European Tour
Antwerp, Belgium
Selected Quarterfinals- 22nd October
Jenson Brooksby 1/3 | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 9/4
Unorthodox American Jenson Brooksby will be looking for a strong end to what has been a real breakthrough season. The 20-year-old has reached four Challenger finals this year, finished runner-up at Newport and also reached the semi-finals in Washington. But it was his 4th round run at the US Open that truly opened the eyes of the world to the youngster. He has won plaudits from no less than Andy Murray for his unorthodox, crafty style of play. Brooksby doesn’t possess nuclear power in his groundstrokes. He rather finesses the ball around the court and looks to construct rallies. It’s quite a niche characteristic in this day and age. And he has looked on fire this week. He is yet to drop a set in his first two matches. Significantly, he managed to defuse the serving power of 5th seed Reilly Opelka. That match really highlighted his cunning court-craft and grit.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is a very accomplished clay-court operator. Anything he achieves during this part of the year is a bonus. He won his only senior title earlier this year, partnering Roberto Carballes-Baena to claim the doubles title at the Chile Open. But by far his most impressive showing in singles was his brilliant run to the quarterfinals at the French Open. In reality, that performance has really inflated his status this year. He has a win-loss record of 5-9 since Roland Garros. That was highlighted by a 3rd round defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Tokyo Olympics. He eased past Jordan Thompson in the opening round before an epic three-set duel with 3rd seed Cristian Garin. While it may look impressive on paper that he beat the 3rd seed; Garin is also an avowed clay-court practitioner. This may represent his best chance of making a splash on the hardcourt scene.
Verdict: Brooksby to win at 1/3
This will be the first career meeting between these two. Davidovich Fokina probably has the edge in terms of sheer power from the back of the court. But I think that American Brooksby has the measure of these surfaces. He looks to be in great form and should be able to absorb all of Fokina’s one-dimensional power.
Brandon Nakashima 12/10 | Diego Schwartzman 13/20
Yes, we have yet another hot young American player to address. Nakashima joins the likes of Brooksby and Korda at the vanguard of young American talent. The 20-year-old only made his debut on the tour last year, reaching the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach Open on debut. But he has really evolved as a player during this campaign. At Los Cabos he became the youngest American to reach an ATP final since Taylor Fritz in 2016. He followed that up with yet another final appearance in Atlanta. Those back-to-back finals represented an outstanding start to the North American hardcourt season. Things have certainly quieted down since then. However, the energetic American has once again shown his hardcourt chops this week. Both he and Jenson Brooksby will be aiming to secure their places at this year’s season-ending Next Gen Finals.
Despite my general misgivings about Diego Schwartzman’s abilities on hard surfaces, he has compiled a highly creditable run of recent hardcourt form. He reached the 4th round of the US Open before back-to-back quarterfinal runs in San Diego and Indian Wells. I was a bit surprised by how comfortably eventual champ Cameron Norrie sailed past Schwarzman at Indian Wells. I think many would have fancied Andy Murray after the Scot defeated Tiafoe. But the Argentine- famed for his grit on the clay-courts- managed to withstand a real stern test from the Scot. Now the Argentine will look to make his first hardcourt semi-final of the year. He won the Argentina Open earlier this year before a great run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. But I’m personally still unconvinced by his credentials as a hardcourt threat.
Verdict: Nakashima to win in three at 3/1
Brandon Nakashima just seems to have that intangible ability to perform in these pressure situations (even at such a young age). Nakashima has a never-say-die attitude and I just feel that Schwartzman is there for the taking. But it should be a real war between two energetic baseliners.
