Andrey Rublev of Russia defeats Marin Cilic of Croatia on day 9 of the Miami Open on March 30, 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...People: Andrey Rublev Miami Gardens United States Of America - ZUMAs214 20210330_zda_s214_092 Copyright: xSMGx
5th seed Andrey Rublev squares off against 25th seed Dan Evans in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open on Saturday.
The Russian star did not have a great start to 2023 as he lost his first matches in both the Adelaide International 1 and 2 tournaments.
So far in the Australian Open, it has been smooth sailing for the 25-year-old. In the first match, Rublev defeated 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Rublev followed it up with another win against Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round. The Finnish star did show some resilience and won the third set but Rublev dominated sets 1, 2, and 4 to make it to the third round.
The British No. 2 was also ousted in his first match at the Adelaide International 2. Seeded 25th at the Australian Open, the experienced player is one win away from reaching the fourth round of the event for the second time in his career.
Evans began the tournament with a win in four sets against Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis. The match ended 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in favor of Evans. In the second round, the 32-year-old produced a comprehensive display to get the better of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.
The two players have faced each other on six occasions and the head-to-head is evenly poised at 3-3. Their most recent encounter was won by Evans in straight sets last year in Montreal.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in four sets.
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