Andrey Rublev hasn't had much success against Daniil Medvedev on the ATP Tour, but he hopes to rectify that in this year's US Open quarter-final.
We're getting an all-Russian clash at the 2023 US Open as Rublev will take on Medvedev. Rublev was the first player to secure a spot in the quarter-final due to the schedule having him play earlier. Both had similar matches in that they dropped a set but then cruised.
Rublev took down Jack Draper in a match that almost went badly for him. He was down a break in the 3rd set, which could have been problematic if he didn't break back immediately. Medvedev had his own issues against Alex de Minaur but handled it well enough to win.
So what to expect here? Well, the better question would be what not to expect as we'll get the full package. Both players are prone to occasional outbursts and get frustrated regularly while playing tennis, so expect plenty of that, and good tennis, too.
Head-to-head:
We've seen them battle eight times, and Medvedev won most of those matches. Interestingly, all matches were played on hard courts. Rublev's first win came in Cincinnati two years ago in a match where Medvedev got angry and then lost focus.
He's talked about his desire to curb that part of his personality because it has lost him matches before. The second win came last year at the ATP Finals, but Medvedev won all of the others. The most recent one came earlier this year in Dubai, which Medvedev won 6-2 6-2.
Prediction:
So, how will this go? Well, it's tough to say because Rublev has ways he can beat Medvedev, but he needs to be close to perfect. Medvedev doesn't because he generally tries to send many balls back to Rublev, hoping for a miss.
If it doesn't come, then he gets nervous and starts missing, allowing Rublev to win the match. It doesn't happen often because if Rublev was that consistent, he'd be a multiple Grand Slam winner by now. So essentially, it's on the racquet of Rublev, though he only produces the needed level once in a blue moon.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in four sets.
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