Best odds & betting predictions for French Open quarter-finals

Rafa Nadal continues his charge as we look at the best bets for the last eight at Roland Garros.

7 years ago 0 4

MARCO Cecchinato’s golden run at the 2018 French Open continued on Tuesday with a stunning victory over Novak Djokovic.

The unseeded 25-year-old took the first two sets before a neck-sore Djokovic rebounded to claim the third.

The fourth set went down the wire, but it was the underdog who prevailed 13-11 in an epic tiebreaker.

With that career-best result, Cecchinato becomes the first Italian to reach the men’s semi-finals at Roland Garros since Corrado Barazzutti in 1978.

Now he faces an in-form Dominic Thiem, but there is plenty of tennis to be played between now and then.

Rafael Nadal has a quarter-final date with Diego Schwartzman, who scraped past sixth seed Kevin Anderson in five sets on Monday.

The winner of that clash will face either Marin Cilic or Juan Martin del Potro in the last four.

American duo Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens are through to the women’s semis, thus teeing up a replay of last year’s US Open final.

Top seed Simona Halep still has to negotiate Angelique Kerber in the quarters, while Garbine Muguruza takes on Maria Sharapova in a fascinating tussle between two former champions.

Simona Halep (1) vs. Angelique Kerber (12)

Halep – -243.9 at Bovada Kerber – +193

History says this matchup is nowhere near as straightforward as the odds suggest. Halep holds a 5-4 lead in the head-to-head stakes after edging an outstanding semi-final clash at the Australian Open earlier this year, but it was Kerber who triumphed in their only meeting on clay back in 2016. Back the Romanian, but don’t be surprised if it goes to three sets.

Garbine Muguruza (3) vs. Maria Sharapova (28)

Muguruza – -125 Sharapova – +101 at Bovada

Both players should be fresh as daisies after walkovers in the fourth round. Muguruza has found beautiful rhythm after an ordinary preparation, while Sharapova made a big statement with her 6-2, 6-1 win over Karolina Pliskova in the third round. There is value in following the early money for the Russian, who has not lost once to Muguruza in three bouts.

Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Diego Schwartzman (11)

Nadal – -5000 at Bovada Schwartzman – +1400

Everything is going to script for Rafa, who has needed only 12 sets to secure a quarter-final berth. Schwartzman was on a similar trajectory until the fourth round, where he was forced to fight back from two sets down. That gritty quality saw the Argentine take Nadal to four sets at the Australian Open earlier this year, but there is only one winner here.

Marin Cilic (3) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (5)

Cilic – +151 Del Potro – -188.68 at Bovada

These two had very different experiences in the fourth round. While del Potro secured a routine 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over John Isner, Cilic needed five sets and three-and-a-half hours to see off a dogged Fabio Fognini. Pair that disparity of time on court with an alarmingly lopsided head-to-head record (10-2), and all signs point to a win for big Juan Martin.