ATP acca tips for Friday, July 19: Rafael Nadal on course for first title of the year

Rafael Nadal looks set to head into the weekend in the hunt for his first title of the year in Bastad.

Nadal faces number four seed Mariano Navone in the last eight at the Swedish Open.

Elsewhere Stefanos Tsitsipas has emerged as favourite in the Swiss Open in Gstaad, while Alexander Zverev is on track for a hometown defence and the Americans are dominating at Newport.

Here we make our picks for a handful of matches on Friday 19 July.

 

ATP Bastad: Rafael Nadal vs Mariano Navone | Pick: Nadal

ATP Bastad: Timofey Skatov vs Nuno Borges | Pick: Borges

ATP Gstaad: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Fabio Fognini | Pick: Tsitsipas

ATP Gstaad: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Matteo Berrettini | Pick: Auger-Aliassime

ATP Hamburg: Francisco Cerundolo vs Pedro Martinez Portero | Pick: Cerundolo

ATP Hamburg: Alexander Zverev vs Zhizhen Zhang | Pick: Zverev

ATP Newport: Aleksandar Vukic vs Christopher Eubanks | Pick: Eubanks

ATP Newport: Alex Bolt vs Marcos Giron | Pick: Giron

 

ATP Bastad: Rafael Nadal vs Mariano Navone

Navone may be the seeded player here but he is a clear outsider given how well Nadal has played so far.

Nadal is getting back to his best and has so far avoided any injuries.

He will be very tough to beat in the Swedish Open given that the surface really suits his game and covers over some of his weaknesses.

Navone has also played well during his run but this might be the end of the road for the Argentine.

 

ATP Bastad: Timofey Skatov vs Nuno Borges

Timofey Skatov is not well known to many as a player but Nuno Borges will be fairly familiar with him having clashed twice.

Borges and Skatov have faced off in Challenger tour meetings in the past but they now clash in an ATP Tour quarter-final.

Considering the looming Olympics this is a big match for Borges, whose skill on clay makes him an outside shot for a medal.

Borges can build form in Bastad with one eye on Paris and he should see himself through to the last four.

 

ATP Gstaad: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Fabio Fognini

The quality of the Gstaad field belies its ATP 250 status with a blockbuster quarter-final in prospect.

Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Fabio Fognini for the fifth time and will be out to achieve his fifth win.

Fognini has only managed to take one set off Tsitsipas in their four previous matches.

Tsitsipas is aiming to reach his fourth semi-final of the season while Fognini has lost both the quarter-finals he has contested.

 

ATP Gstaad: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Matteo Berrettini

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Matteo Berrettini will do battle against each other for the seventh time in their career, as they face off in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Open.

Berrettini holds the edge in the head-to-head having won four of their six meetings.

However, both players have been blighted by injuries in the early stages of their seasons.

Auger-Aliassime is further along in his comeback and better-placed to win this match.

 

ATP Hamburg: Francisco Cerundolo vs Pedro Martinez Portero

Francisco Cerundolo and Pedro Martinez Portero are set for their second career meeting.

Cerundolo won the prior clash with his quarter-final opponent in Hamburg in straight sets.

Portero has been mercurial in Hamburg, easily beating Matteo Arnaldi before struggling to bet beyond unfancied Frenchman Ugo Blanchet.

Cerundolo will relish the mini clay swing ahead of the Paris games as a great way to get back into his season.

 

ATP Hamburg: Alexander Zverev vs Zhizhen Zhang

Alexander Zverev continues his bid for back-to-back hometown titles when he faces Zhizhen Zhang in the Hamburg last eight.

Zverev was given a last-16 scare but came through with an emphatic finish against Hugo Gaston.

Zhang has been helped by two tiebreak set wins but also hasn't dropped a set in his two matches to date.

The Chinese star will be a threat but Zverev should be able to see him off and continue his defence.

 

ATP Newport: Aleksandar Vukic vs Christopher Eubanks

Aleksandar Vukic and Christopher Eubanks will square off in the quarter-finals of the Hall of Fame Open for their eighth career meeting.

Vukic leads the rivalry 5-2 and while he faces Eubanks on home soil, he already owns a win over the American in the United States.

Eubanks needs to rebound from what has been a poor season so far for the American.

Vukic is yet to drop a set and will be a tough foe to face in Newport.

 

ATP Newport: Alex Bolt vs Marcos Giron

Another American hope on home soil is Marcos Giron who faces Australian journeyman Alex Bolt in Newport in a fourth career meeting.

Giron leads the head-to-head by 2-1 but these players haven't met since 2015.

This will also be their first full ATP Tour match with all three prior meetings coming at Challenger level.

Giron should hold the edge on home soil but Bolt is a tricky opponent with loads of experience.