The 2025 Houston Open continues on Friday, April 4 with its quarterfinals to be played as Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima will be in action. Get the best predictions and tips for the day from ATP Houston Open 2025.
Brandon Nakashima v Christopher Eubanks
Americans Brandon Nakashima and Christopher Eubanks have faced off six times across all circuits and Nakashima leads 4-2 on head to head but with none of them having come on clay.
A quarterfinalist at this tournament last year, Nakashima has emulated that feat with a straight-set win over Mackenzie McDonald and will now look to go one better as he takes on the 117th-ranked Eubanks.
Eubanks had required three sets to get past Rinky Hijikata in the first round and was leading Kei Nishikori by a set in the second round before his Japanese opponent retired from the encounter.
While Nakashima does not boast of a solid record on clay, he does have a third round appearance at the French Open and has done better than Eubanks who had entered this season on a 0-9 win-loss record on this surface from the previous nine matches.
Expecting Nakashima to win this in two.
Nakashima v Eubanks Tip: Nakashima to win in straight sets: 4/6
Tommy Paul v Colton Smith
This will be the first meeting between the world number 13 Tommy Paul and the 200th-ranked, surprise quarterfinalist Colton Smith.
This is Paul’s fifth appearance in this tournament and for the first time he will feature in the quarterfinal of the Houston Open. And for a moment it looked like even that was in jeopardy when he took to court for his second round match against Cristian Garin.
Garin is a clay-court specialist and not only did he manage to take a set off Paul but also took him to a final set tie-breaker before the American edged past him. Paul’s struggles on clay were quite evident.
The good news for him is that he will now be up against a player who is in his first season playing on clay.
Smith has made a good start to that though with straight-set wins to make it to the main draw and successive straight-set wins over James Duckworth and Ethan Quinn to set up this meeting with Paul.
This will be the first time that Smith will face up to an opponent ranked this high but given his confidence and form he might not make things any easy for Paul.
Paul v Smith Tip: Games Handicap Smith +4.5: 8/15
Frances Tiafoe v Alex Michelsen
World number 17 Frances Tiafoe had defeated the 34th-ranked Alex Michelsen in their only previous meeting that came at the Dallas Open last year.
That Tiafoe likes playing in Houston can be seen from the fact that his only title on clay came at this tournament. And he followed that up with another finals appearance here which happened last year.
2023 winner Tiafoe had a first round bye here before defeating Adam Walton in straight sets to set up this meeting with fellow American Alex Michelsen.
Michelsen, who had routed Learner Tien in straight sets in his opener, was in strife against the lucky loser Adrian Mannarino. He lost the first set tie-breaker 7-0 despite being a 1/8 favourite before coming back to win the next two sets and clinch his place in the quarterfinals.
Against Tiafoe things could get a lot tougher.
Tiafoe v Michelsen Tip: Tiafoe to win in straight sets: 6/4
Other Houston Open 2025 Predictions for the Day
- Jenson Brooksby v Aleksandar Kovacevic: Three sets in the match: 6/4
