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The fifth day of main draw action at the 2023 Open Sud de France in Montpellier will feature all four quarterfinals.
On the fourth day of this year's edition, top seed Holger Rune, third seed Borna Coric, Quentin Halys, Maxime Cressy, Lorenzo Sonego and Gregoire Barrere booked their places in the last eight.
All six matches were straight-set affairs, with Rune beating Marc-Andrea Huesler, Coric taking care of Arthur Rinderknech, Halys beating fifth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Cressy overcoming seventh seed Emil Ruusuvuori and Sonego beating Filip Krajinovic, and Barrere beating Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Second seed Jannik Sinner and wildcard Arthur Fils were Round of 16 victors a day earlier, respectively, beating Marton Fucsovics (walkover) and fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut respectively.
The eight players remaining in the field in Montpellier will now feature on Friday, with places in the last four at stake. On that note, here's a look at the predictions for all four quarterfinals:
Spoiler Alert: All four matches are first-time match-ups.
#1 Quentin Halys vs Arthur Fils
In an all-French first quarterfinal at Montpellier on Friday, Quentin Halys will look to reach the last four at the expense of his younger compatriot Arthur Fils.
Halys, ranked 70th in the world, has notched up consecutive victories for the second time this season, first doing so while reaching the Adelaide International 1 quarterfinals. Coming off a first-round exit at the Australian Open, the 26-year-old saw off compatriot Clement Chidekh in the first round in three sets before beating fifth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the loss of just six games.
Meanwhile, the 163rd-ranked Fils is having a dream campaign in the south of France. The 18-year-old stunned three-time winner Richard Gasquet in straight sets in his tournament opener for the first ATP Tour win of his career. As if to prove that was no flash in the pan, Fils then took out fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut to book his place in the last eight.
With his exploits in Montpellier, the French teenager will rise 20 places in the rankings. Another win - against Halys - will take him into the top 120, but that could be a bridge too far.
Prediction: Halys in three sets
#2 Lorenzo Sonego vs Jannik Sinner
The second quarterfinal in Montpellier will be an all-Italian affair featuring Lorenzo Sonego and third seed Jannik Sinner.
The 56-ranked Sonego notched up his first pair of consecutive victories of 2023 this week to improve to 3-3 on the season. The 27-year-old saw off eighth seed Benzamin Bonzi before dumping out Filip Krajinovic - both in straight sets - to reach his first quarterfinal of the year.
Meanwhile, Sinner is the only player in the draw yet to take to the court, as he had a walkover in the second round against the injured Marton Fucsovics after a first-round bye. The World No. 17 has made a decent 5-2 start to the year, making the Adelaide International 1 quarterfinals and the Australian Open fourth round.
Sinner is looking for his first 'win' in Montpellier in three attempts and should do so against his older compatriot.
Prediction: Sinner in straight sets
#3 Holger Rune (Montpellier top seed) vs Gregoire Barrere
Top seed Holger Rune will take on Frenchman Gregoire Barrere for a place in the semifinals.
The World No. 9 started his Montpellier campaign with a hard-fought win over Swiss left-hander Marc-Andrea Huesler on Wednesday. Rune, 19, has made a good start to the season - winning six of his eight matches - having reached the Australian Open fourth round last week.
Meanwhile, Barrere, ranked 75th in the world, has improved to 3-2 on the season after consecutive wins in Montpellier. After outlasting defending champion Alexander Bublik in a third set tiebreak, the 28-year-old saw off Basilashvili in straight sets to book a showdown with the top seed.
Going by current form, Rune is expected to have a comfortable outing as he looks for a first title of the year.
Prediction: Rune in straight sets
#4 Borna Coric vs Maxime Cressy
Third seed Borna Coric will take on American Maxime Cressy to complete the semifinal lineup in Montpellier.
Coric, ranked 23rd in the world, improved to 5-2 on the year after seeing off Arthur Rinderknech in the previous round for his first victory at the Open Sud de France. He has won his last three matches, winning both his singles matches against Austria in the Davis Cup coming into the tournament.
Meanwhile, World No. 51 Cressy is 3-2 in 2023 after consecutive victories in Montpellier, seeing off Antoine Bellier and Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets. However, he could meet his match in Coric.
Prediction: Coric in straight sets
