Carlos Alcaraz never took on Andrey Rublev, but it's happening at the upcoming ATP Finals, and it should be a good match.
When you hear the names of Alcaraz and Rublev, you instantly think of the forehand, a major weapon for both players. We should see plenty of forehand winners by both players in what promises to be a very interesting match.
Rublev had some decent showings in recent weeks, but his form, as always, is up and down. Alcaraz didn't even play that much lately due to injuries so we don't really know what kind of shape he really is.
The interesting thing is that they practiced against each other in Turin, which could play a factor in the matchup since they never played before.
Head-to-head:
Yes, this will be the first time we see Rublev take on Alcaraz, and that's quite surprising. We never saw them go head-to-head, which is a shame because it's a great matchup.
Rublev has historically performed better indoors, winning a couple of trophies. Alcaraz doesn't have a lot of experience indoors, but he's a really good player that can make it work.
Not having played any tennis leading up to Turin will hurt him because we might see him struggle for a while. That's enough for Rublev to win the match, but he'll need to be sharp.
Prediction:
The crucial thing for Rublev will be how he attacks Alcaraz. The Spaniard is pretty quick and moves well, and he'll send many balls back. He can force Rublev to overhit, and that's trouble for the Russian.
He'll need a consistent effort from the baseline to win the match, and it's not something he delivers often. I do think he'll do it know because I can't trust Alcaraz with the way he played in the last couple of weeks.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in two sets.
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