ATP Cup 2022: Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (POL) Hubert Hurkacz vs (ESP) Roberto Bautista Agut
Date: 7 January 2022
Tournament: ATP Cup 2022
Round: Semifinal
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $10,000,000
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 8 am GMT, 1:30 pm IST
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime
Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview
Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will take on Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the first semifinal of the 2022 ATP Cup on Friday.
Hurkacz is unbeaten in the tournament so far. He defeated Greece's Aristotelis Thanos 6-1, 6-2 and Georgia's Aleksandre Metreveli 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 in his first two group stage matches.
The Pole then faced Argentina's World No. 13 Diego Schwartzman in his final group match, winning 6-1, 6-4. This is the first time Poland have reached the semifinals at the ATP Cup and Hurkacz has been instrumental in leading them to this stage.
Roberto Bautista Agut, too, has been in impressive form, winning all three of his group stage matches without dropping a set.
He easily defeated Chile's Cristian Garin 6-0, 6-3 in his first match. Following that, the World No. 19 defeated the eighth-ranked Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-6 (4). In his last match, he won against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-4.
Bautista Agut and Team Spain have done well in the absence of Rafael Nadal. They'll be aiming to reach their second final at the ATP Cup, having done so previously in 2020.
And still... #TeamSpain are undefeated at the 2022 #ATPCup 🇪🇸✨
@BautistaAgut completes the singles treble in the group stages, def. Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-4. https://t.co/uFrKYhgM2P
Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut head-to-head
The two have played each other twice before, with Bautista Agut leading 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2020 Cologne Open, in three sets, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-0.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut prediction
Both players have competed incredibly well over the course of the week and will be looking to continue their winning ways.
Hurkacz is more versatile and he is capable of converting offense to defense and vice versa in a flash. He's got a great serve as well, which is evident from the 33 aces he has hit at the ATP Cup this year against just three double faults.
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3️⃣/3️⃣ Walczymy dalej #TeamPoland 🇵🇱
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3️⃣/3️⃣ We keep fighting #TeamPoland 🇵🇱
@ATPCup #ATPCup https://t.co/j75tbzO5mQ
Bautista Agut is more of a defensive player, using his counterpunching skills to navigate his way through the match. He's a consistent shotmaker, though his backhand is a weakness that many players aim to exploit. Unlike his opponent, the Spaniard doesn't win as many free points on serve.
Hurkacz's varied style of play should give him a slight edge in the contest, as he'll be able to handle the Spaniard's game quite well in these conditions.
Prediction: Hubert Hurkacz to win in three sets.
Also Check Out: Updated ATP Cup 2022 Results