Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Washington match.
Frances Tiafoe has built a strong record in Washington over the years, consistently delivering in front of a supportive home crowd. Once again aiming for a quarter-finals berth, he faces an improved Flavio Cobolli — last year’s finalist, who has demonstrated his competence on hard courts.
Flavio Cobolli
Flavio Cobolli is enjoying an excellent run of form this July, winning eight of his last nine matches — six of which were decided in tiebreaks. The Italian has notably improved his serve and the power behind his baseline shots. His sole recent defeat came against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, where he still managed to take a set. Compared to his straightforward loss to Frances Tiafoe last year (2:6, 4:6), Flavio now appears far more composed and assured.
Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe regularly rises to the occasion in Washington. Last season, he reached the semi-finals here, and since July 2024, he has secured six wins in ten hard-court matches against top-20 opponents. Even if not fully at his best, the American remains a threat with his powerful serve, aggressive approach, and the motivation of playing at home. His match against Aleksandar Kovacevic (7:5, 3:6, 6:3) was a demanding contest, but he showed resilience to edge the third set. Frances also tends to be involved in extended matches — eight of his last nine two-set encounters have included at least 22 games.
Flavio Cobolli vs Frances Tiafoe Prediction
Frances Tiafoe performs strongly in front of a home crowd and should be capable of overcoming even the improved version of Flavio Cobolli. However, the Italian has been consistently impressive in July and will likely test the American throughout. A tightly contested match is expected, with both players likely to push the Total Over 21.5 games.
