Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev will face the challenge of Spain’s Davidovich Fokina in the third round of the Italian Open
Andrey Rublev has been in incredible form of late and made two ATP finals in April. He had a terrific title-winning campaign at the Monte Carlo Masters last month and followed it up with another successful campaign at the Srpska, where he fell just short in the final and finished runners-up. There is no doubt that Rublev is high on confidence after two immensely successful campaigns, and he will be eyeing another title in Rome.
Rublev is the No.6 seed at the Italian Open and received a ‘Bye’ in the first round due to his superior ranking. In the second round, he put up an impressive display to win 6-3, 6-4 against Slovakia’s Alex Molcan. The Russian looks in sublime touch and is certainly one of the favourites to go all the way and clinch the title. However, Rublev has to take it one match at a time and in a field filled with quality opponents, there is no room for complacency.
Fokina has had a disappointing season so far by his standards and is looking for redemption in Italy. The Spaniard is the 27th seed in the tournament and like Rublev, received a ‘Bye’ in the Round of 128. Fokina decimated Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-0, 7-6 in his opening encounter.
The Spaniard’s recent form is a cause for worry but there is no doubt that he is capable of beating anyone on his day. He will face an uphill task against Rublev but it remains to be seen if Fokina can pull off a major upset.
Date – Monday, 15th May
Court Type – Clay outdoor surface
Telecast – Tennis Channel
Start Time – To be Announced
Location – Foro Italico
Match details – Round of 32 match
Rublev and Fokina have played each other two times before on the ATP Tour. Both the matches have been closely fought but the Russian has the upper hand and leads 2-0 on head to head. On paper, Rublev is the clear favourite both in terms of form and rankings. However, it’s a difficult match to call as the performance on that particular day is likely to make a difference. We are predicting an intense encounter with Andrey Rublev eventually coming out on top in three sets.
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