Geneva Open 2023 Day 5: Men's singles predictions ft. Grigor Dimitrov vs Christopher O'Connell

On the fifth day of main draw action at the Geneva Open on Thursday, May 25, all four quarter-finals will be played. Four seeds - two of them being wildcards - will be in action at the ATP 250 claycourt event.

On Wednesday, the likes of Taylor Fritz, Grigor Dimitrov and Ilya Ivashka emerged victorious by beating Marcos Giron, Roberto Carballes Baena and Adrian Mannarino, respectively.

So, without further ado, here's a look at how quarterfinal day in Geneva could pan out on Thursday:

#1 Taylor Fritz vs Ilya Ivashka

Second seed Taylor Fritz will take on Ilya Ivashka as a place in the Geneva semi-finals beckons.

World No. 9 Fritz opened his campaign in the Swiss city with a come-from-behind win over compatriot Marcos Giron to improve to 28-10 on the season. Meanwhile, the 86th-ranked Ivashka registered sixth win in 16 matches in 2023 when he downed eighth seed Adrian Mannarino in the second round.

The two players haven't met before, but expect the in-form Fritz to take home the match.

Pick: Fritz in straight sets

#2 Grigor Dimitrov vs Christopher O'Connell

Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov will lock horns with Christopher O'Connell as he aims for a place in the top four.

The 33rd-ranked Dimitrov, who has received a wildcard, improved to 13-9 on the season by beating Roberto Carballes Baena in his opener. Meanwhile, World No. 85 O'Connell is 11-10 in 2023 after getting the better of seventh seed Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round.

Dimitrov won the pair's lone meeting in the 2017 Australian Open first round en route the semi-finals, and should prevail again.

Pick: Dimitrov in three sets

#3 Alexander Zverev vs Yibing Wu

Third seed Alexander Zverev continues his Geneva campaign against China's Yibing Wu for a place in the last four.

The 27th-ranked Zverev - who received a wildcard for the tournament - beat Christopher Eubanks to improve to 15-13 in 2023. Meanwhile, World No. 59 Wu downed Marco Cecchinato in the second round for his 10th win in 16 matches this year.

This is a first-time matchup, but the more experienced German should emerge victorious.

Pick: Zverev in straight sets

#4 Casper Ruud (two-time defending Geneva champion) vs Nicolas Jarry

Top seed and two-time defending champion Casper Ruud continues his Geneva title defence against the unseeded Nicolas Jarry as he seeks to reach the semi-finals.

World No. 4 Ruud opened his campaign for a third straight title against American J.J. Wolf, improving to 9-0 at the tournament and 16-10 on the season. Meanwhile, the 54th-ranked Jarry received a walkover over sixth seed Tallon Griekspoor and is 14-7 on the season.

Ruud won his lone meeting with Jarry in the Seoul second round last week and should win the pair's first claycourt clash, too.

Pick: Ruud in three sets

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Ankush Das