Top seeds Skupski/Koolhof will take on Dutch pair Haase/van de Zandschulp in the semi-finals of the Italian Open
Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof have had a pretty strange 2023 thus far. The World No.1 pair has played really well in all the tournaments they have participated in, but they have no silverware to show for it. The duo has faltered in the latter stages of the events or even in the final hurdle and that is something they will desperately want to change at the Italian Open in Rome.
The top seeds have been at their sublime best so far in the tournament. It was only in the first round that the duo faced a bit of a challenge from their opponents Middelkoop and Mies. They absolutely decimated their opponents in straight sets in the next two rounds.
When at their best, Skupski and Koolhof come across as invincibles and that is what makes them such a dangerous pair. They will have their eyes set on the title in Rome especially after a frustrating string of results. However, they can certainly not afford to be over-confident against tricky opponents like Haase and van de Zandschulp.
Haase and van de Zandschulp’s form coming into this match at Italian Open
Haase and van de Zandschulp are specialist doubles players, but they hardly form a pair together. However, the partnership seems to have worked really well so far in Rome. They began their campaign with a major upset against 8th seeds Roger-Vasselin/Gonzalez and then received a walkover in the next round.
In the quarter-finals, the Dutch duo showed immense grit to come back from a set down and script a memorable victory against Murray/Venus. The job only gets tougher from here as they are all set to face the top seeds in the semis. It remains to be seen if they have what it takes to cause an upset against the No.1 pair.
Details:
Date – Friday, 19th May
Court Type – Clay outdoor surface
Telecast – Tennis Channel
Start Time – To be Announced
Location – Foro Italico
Match details – Semi-final
Head to head and Predictions
Skupski/Koolhof and Haase/van de Zandschulp have never played each other before on the ATP tour. This is the first professional head-to-head clash between the two pairs. On paper, Skupski/Koolhof are the favourites both in terms of experience and rankings. However, one can certainly not rule out the in-form Dutch pair and they are expected to put up a tough fight. We are predicting a close match with Skupski/Koolhof eventually winning in three sets.
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