Alejandro Davidovich Fokina meets Alexandre Muller in the Chengdu Open quarterfinal, a first career meeting between the two and one of the more lopsided matchups left in the draw on paper.
Davidovich Fokina, seeded second and ranked 29th with a career high of 14, has been the most efficient player in the draw so far. He has not dropped a set at the event, including a clean 6-4, 6-4 win over Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, and he carries a 24-15 record for the season with 8 wins in 14 hard court matches. His shot making off both wings and increasingly steady service games have made him a genuine threat deep into ATP 250 and 500 draws all year.
Muller has quietly put together an impressive week, coming through qualifying and winning four matches in a row while conceding just one set total. Ranked 135th with a career high of 38, he is well outside his usual comfort zone against a player of Davidovich Fokina's caliber, but qualifiers on a run tend to carry loose, low pressure form that can occasionally cause problems for higher seeds.
There is no head to head history between them, but the gap in ranking and in season long results is significant. Davidovich Fokina's return game and shot tolerance should let him absorb Muller's flatter, lower margin strikes and turn defense into offense, which is typically the blueprint that beats journeyman qualifiers on the run.
Barring an off day from the Spaniard, his class and depth of shot should be enough to close this out in straight sets.
**Pick: Davidovich Fokina in straight sets. Confidence: high.**
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