Cincinnati 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open
Match details
Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista Agut
Date: 26 August 2020
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Match timing: 1 pm EDT, 10.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview
Playing in the third round of the 2020 Western & Southern Open, Roberto Bautista Agut came back from a set down against Karen Khachanov to maintain his unbeaten record over the Russian. And his reward is a quarterfinal matchup against Khachanov's countryman and the third seed of the tournament, Daniil Medvedev.
While both men would be happy to have survived a week full of shock losses, they have their work cut out on Wednesday; that all-important semifinal berth will not come easy for either player.
Daniil Medvedev is one of the few players who has looked good in the first few matches that he has played here, bucking the trend of big names falling victim to rusty play. He didn't take too long to find his rhythm on serve in his opener against Marcos Giron, taking that match in straight sets.
Medvedev then played an even better second round match against Aljaz Bedene, dropping just three points behind the first delivery.
The Russian is moving well on the court, has been solid on return and is making very few errors. And that's really the sort of thing that should be worrying Roberto Bautista Agut ahead of their clash.
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista Agut head-to-head
Roberto Bautista Agut currently leads the head-to-head against Daniil Medvedev 1-0. The only previous meeting between the duo came in the final of the 2017 Chennai Open, with Bautista Agut winning the title following a straight-sets victory.
But both men have come a long way from that point, and have been playing some of their best tennis over the last couple of years. And as things stand today, there is very little to choose between them.
Medvedev and Bautista Agut even had similarly quick starts to the season, with some big wins at the ATP Cup. While Medvedev managed to follow things up with a couple of decent results, Bautista Agut had a forgettable time on the court just before the pandemic-enforced lockdown.
The Spaniard will be looking to change that ahead of the US Open which starts next week.
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Bautista Agut prediction
Daniil Medvedev is the higher-ranked opponent and also the defending champion, so the pressure will be on him to get this win. And while that sort of pressure might get to some players, especially coming off of a break, the Russian is made of sterner stuff.
If the last few matches are any indication, Medvedev seems to be fancying the idea of two Cincinnati titles in a row.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.