The 2025 Houston Open continues on Saturday, April 5 with its semifinals to be played Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima take to court. Get the best predictions and tips for the day from ATP Houston Open 2025.
Tommy Paul v Jenson Brooksby
World number 13 Tommy Paul has a good chance of making it 4-0 on head to head with Jenson Brooksby when they face off in the semifinals in Houston. None of their previous three meetings, including one in Dallas earlier this year, have ever come on clay.
Paul, who had a first round bye, did face some troubles overcoming Cristian Garin in the second round but then eased to a straight-set win over Colton Smith in the quarterfinal.
While Paul’s best results haven’t come on clay before this, he does not have a lot of trouble taking on others like him who aren’t quite clay-court specialists. And that’s where he will continue to hold an advantage when he takes to court for his semifinal against Brooksby.
Brooksby has come off the qualifiers and fought from being a set down in back to back rounds against Alejandro Tabilo and Aleksandar Kovacevic to seal his semifinal berth. It’s his first time in a semifinal of an ATP tournament since the 2023 Auckland Open, more than two years ago.
Paul, however, will prove to be too strong for him
Paul v Brooksby Tip: Paul to win in straight sets: 5/6
Frances Tiafoe v Brandon Nakashima
Right from the time these two players first met on the Challenger circuit in 2020, Frances Tiafoe holds a 5-1 win-loss record against Brandon Nakashima. None of those six matches have ever come on clay though, making this an interesting battle.
A two-time finalist here, including a title winner, Tiafoe brushed Alex Michelsen aside to make it to the semifinals. What’s even more surprising here is that Tiafoe’s successive wins in this competition after having beaten Adam Walton in the previous round, was the first instance of the American having won back to back matches in a tournament this season.
That’s first in seven tournaments, having won and lost one in each of the previous six.
Nakashima has had it much better this year and that is reflecting on his ranking. Having begun the season ranked 38th, he had slowly moved up to 33rd before the start of this tournament and by making it to the semifinal here, he is already at his career-best ranking of 31st.
He overcame Mackenzie McDonald and Christopher Eubanks in straight sets to make it till here and in his current form could test Tiafoe as well.
Tiafoe v Nakashima Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/5
