Atlanta Open 2022: Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka
Date: July 30, 2022
Tournament: Atlanta Open 2022
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Atlanta, United States
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $708,530
Match timing: Not before 3 pm local time, 7 pm GMT and 12:30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports
Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka preview
Third seed Alex de Minaur will take on World No. 53 Ilya Ivashka in the semifinals of the 2022 Atlanta Open on Saturday.
After a straight-sets win over James Duckworth, de Minaur was up against Adrian Mannarino in the quarterfinals. The Australian was in trouble right from the start. He had to save three break points in the very first game of the match and managed to hold serve.
However, Mannarino took the next three games in a row to lead 3-1. de Minaur was unable to recover from this deficit and he lost the opening set 6-4. The 23-year old stepped up his game going forward and both players remained steady for most of the second set, but the Frenchman was the first to blink, losing serve in the eighth game.
de Minaur then served out the set to level the proceedings. The deciding set was quite one-sided and the Australian dished out a bagel to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
form from our former champ @alexdeminaur 
: he’s an Atlanta semifinalist! 
4-6, 6-3, 6-0. 🔝 form from our former champ @alexdeminaur 🇦🇺: he’s an Atlanta semifinalist!
He takes down Mannarino 🇫🇷 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
https://t.co/EG81ZonVfw
Following wins over Quentin Halys and Steve Johnson, Ilya Ivashka set up a quarterfinal clash against fifth seed Tommy Paul. He took a 3-1 lead in the opening set. Paul managed to hold serve after that, but the Belarusian once again won three games in a row to clinch the set.
Paul snagged a break in the sixth game of the second set to go 4-2 up, and soon served out the set to take the match to a decider. Ivashka jumped to a 3-0 lead to start the third set. Paul stopped his momentum by holding serve, but it was only a brief respite for him as Ivashka claimed the next three games on the trot to win the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and reach his first semifinal of the year.
Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Alex de Minaur vs Ilya Ivashka prediction
While de Minaur has been consistent for most of the year, Ivashka has notched up his best result of the season so far in Atlanta. The Belarusian will be the underdog in his match-up, but he played quite well to knock out the higher-ranked Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
Ivashka served quite well, but coughed up a total of five double faults in the quarterfinals. So far in the tournament, he has won the opening set twice, but was unable to finish off the match in straight sets and was taken to a decider. While the Belarusian held his nerve to get the job done, striking when the iron is hot is quite important and will be crucial against a player of de Minaur's calibre.
de Minaur overcame a slow start to oust Mannarino in the quarterfinals and score his sixth straight victory in Atlanta, dating back to his 2019 title run. He got better and better as the match progressed and saved eight of the nine break points he faced, staying calm under constant pressure.
If he continues to display such mental fortitude, his nerves of steel will come in handy against Ivashka, who did quite well on return in his previous match.
Ivashka is the more powerful ballstriker between the two, but de Minaur has tamed big hitters like him in the past. Expect the Australian to continue his hot streak in Atlanta.
Pick: Alex de Minaur to win in three sets.