Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov: 2024 Cincinnati Open - Preview & Prediction

A fascinating matchup will unfold early at the 2024 Cincinnati Open as Alexander Zverev will take on Karen Khachanov already in the second round.

This is an early matchup at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament between two players of fairly similar profiles. Both are exceptionally tall players with powerful serve and generally move quite well for their height.

Their play styles are different, with the German player being far more defensive naturally compared to Khachanov. However, Zverev has been playing very attacking tennis lately, which has done wonders for his results.

The Russian is also far less consistent than the former World No. 2 player, which is why he has had less success in his tennis career so far. His best can be devastating, and the courts in Cincinnati will give him a chance to unleash some of that.

The courts play fast, which benefits good serves, so serving will be crucial for both players in the match. Zverev is the better server overall, but he's known to complicate things at times, even though he's been relatively solid with that lately.

Khahcanov hasn't played that well lately, but he scored a good win in the opening round of the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

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Head-to-head:

The two have played six times so far, and the German has won four times. There have been some significant wins for the German, such as the Olympic final in 2021.

The most recent match was also won by Zverev, and it happened in Miami this year. It was a straight sets win for the World No. 4, 6-1, 6-4, which shows that lately, it's been a good matchup for him.

One of Khachanov's wins was in Montreal in 2019, a court fairly similar to the one in Cincinnati. It happened many years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

Prediction:

Zverev played really well last week in Montreal, so he's in really good shape ahead of this meeting. Khachanov hasn't been playing that well lately, but he scored a really good win over Francisco Cerundolo in the first round in Cincinnati, and that could give him a bit of a lift ahead of this match.

It's a very complicated matchup for him because he is facing a player who will most likely serve well, limiting his chances. The Russian needs quite a few chances to break through because of his own inconsistencies, and limiting those chances is a huge problem for him.

He's also facing a player who has been quite aggressive lately, which will only add more pressure on him. Zverev is also a much more stable player in the rallies, which is another problem for Khachanov.

Khachanov needs to play close to his best to win, while Zverev doesn't, and those are not great odds for the Russian.

Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in two sets.

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