Queen’s Club tennis picks: Paul vs. Korda, Musetti vs. Thompson

What began as a blockbuster field at Queen’s Club has turned into a surprising semifinal lineup, headlined by Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda. The bottom half of the draw pits Lorenzo Musetti against Jordan Thompson.

(5) Tommy Paul vs. Sebastian Korda

Paul and Korda will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers and for the second time in nine days when they meet again in the semifinals of the Cinch Championships on Saturday afternoon. The two Americans just faced each other in the ‘s-Hertogenbosch quarters, where Korda cruised 6-4, 6-2 to take a 4-1 lead in the head-to-head series. He won their first three encounters (all in 2021) before Paul’s lone victory came via a 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision at the 2022 U.S. Open.

Korda eventually finished runner-up in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (lost to Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-4) and he is now 6-1 on grass this summer following Queen’s Club wins over Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov, and Rinky Hijikata. Paul was the runner-up in Eastbourne last year and is one round away from another grass-court final after disposing of Sebastian Baez, Alejandro Tabilo, and Jack Draper–dropping just one set to a red-hot Draper in the process. The world No. 13 has been the best player so far in London and Korda has played a bunch of tennis over the past two weeks, so this could be a good spot for Paul to get some revenge.

Pick: Paul in 3

Jordan Thompson vs. Lorenzo Musetti

It will be an all-unseeded showdown when Musetti and Thompson collide for the second time in their careers and the second time this season. Their only previous meeting came five months ago on the hard courts in Adelaide, where Musetti cruised 6-4, 6-1. Thompson has since played the best tennis of his life, with a title in Los Cabos, three other quarterfinal performances, and now a semifinal showing at Queen’s Club. The 43-ranked Australian has advanced this week with wins over Holger Rune, Andy Murray (via first-set retirement), and Taylor Fritz. He will be seeded at Wimbledon if he prevails on Saturday.

Musetti’s grass-court swing is off to an awesome start. The 30th-ranked Italian reached the Stuttgart semifinals (lost to Matteo Berrettini) and he now finds himself in the Queen’s semis after taking out De Minaur, Brandon Nakashima, and Billy Harris. Musetti is solid on grass, but the bottom line is this is by far Thompson’s favorite surface. That should make the difference as the 30-year-old secures a seed at the All-England Club.

Pick: Thompson in 3