Tennis Predictions: Who Will Reach the Gstaad Final?

Hello young sports fans! Today we are going to talk about a tennis tournament happening in Switzerland. Think of it like a big contest where players hit a ball over a net to win points. We will explain everything like you are five years old (ELI5), so don’t worry if you are new to tennis!

What Is Happening at the Gstaad Tournament?

• A player named Stefanos Tsitsipas is only two wins away from winning a trophy that will make him feel really happy and confident.
• Tsitsipas was once the runner-up (second place) in two very big tournaments called Grand Slams.
• He will play against Alexander Shevchenko to try to reach the final (the last match).
• Another match will be between Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Raphael Collignon, and it should be fun to watch!
• Our friends at LWOT (a sports website) are guessing who will win both matches in this article.

ATP Gstaad Semifinal Predictions

These are the two matches before the final, called semifinals. Let’s look at each one!

Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Raphael Collignon

• Past meetings: Cerundolo has won 1 time, Collignon 0 times.
• Cerundolo’s story: He is from Argentina. He showed great "never give up" attitude (resilience). He lost the first part of the match (set) against three different players—Zdenk Kolar, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Casper Ruud—but then came back to win!
• Collignon’s story: He also fought hard. He beat Timofey Skatov and Valentin Vacherot in three-set battles (matches with three parts), and won against Lorenzo Sonego by winning two very close tiebreaks (special close endings).
• Why it will be close: Both players kept fighting in tough matches, so this one should be tight.
• Who has the edge? Cerundolo is a bit better on clay (a slow, sandy court) when playing well, because his forehand (the hit with the front hand) can control the rally (back-and-forth hits). Collignon has to try harder to win points. It could go either way, but Cerundolo’s bigger power might win in an important match like this.

Important Point: Cerundolo’s stronger hitting on clay might be the difference in a very close match!

• Our guess: Cerundolo wins in 3 sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexander Shevchenko

• Past meetings: Shevchenko has won 1 time, Tsitsipas 0 times.
• Tsitsipas’s story: He is from Greece. He has not played his best tennis lately. But he showed good fighting spirit (something he didn’t always show in the last year). He beat Ignacio Buse easily in two sets, then won harder three-set matches against Jerome Kym and Arthur Rinderknech.
• Shevchenko’s story: He is from Kazakhstan and is talented. He came back to beat Quentin Halys, then won more easily against Dominic Stricker and Quentin Halys again.
• Why Tsitsipas might win: Shevchenko’s clay-court game is not as good as Tsitsipas’s when Tsitsipas is in form (Tsitsipas was even the runner-up at the 2021 French Open!). Tsitsipas has been low on confidence, but winning earlier rounds should help. He probably won’t play perfectly, but better than before, and that will make it hard for Shevchenko.

Important Point: Even if Tsitsipas isn’t at his best, his clay skills are still above Shevchenko’s when he gets going!

• Our guess: Tsitsipas wins in 2 sets.

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Summary

To wrap up:

• Tsitsipas is close to a confidence-boosting title and faces Shevchenko next; we predict he wins in 2 sets.
• Cerundolo and Collignon both fight hard, but Cerundolo’s clay power should win in 3 sets.
• Both semifinals should be exciting, and our friends at LWOT shared these friendly predictions!

FAQ

1. What does "two victories away from a title" mean?
It means Tsitsipas needs to win his next two matches (the semifinal and the final) to win the tournament trophy.

2. What is a "clay court"?
It’s a tennis court made of crushed stone or sand. It’s slower, so players have more time to run and hit the ball.

3. What is a "tiebreak"?
A special short game played when a set is very close, to decide the winner of that set quickly.

4. Why is Tsitsipas’s confidence mentioned?
Because he hasn’t played well lately and felt sad about his game, but winning helps him feel better.

5. What does "Prediction: Cerundolo in 3" mean?
It means we guess Cerundolo will win the match, and it will take 3 sets to decide it.