Cincinnati 2021: Diego Schwartzman vs Frances Tiafoe preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open
Match details
Fixture: (10) Diego Schwartzman vs Frances Tiafoe
Date: 18 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 Western & Southern Open
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Cincinnati, Ohio
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $3,028,140
Match timings: Not before 7 pm local time, 11 pm GMT, 4.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot Select
Diego Schwartzman vs Frances Tiafoe preview
10th seed Diego Schwartzman, who has struggled for form this year, will take on USA's Frances Tiafoe in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday.
Schwartzman began his 2021 season on a bright note, winning his career's fourth ATP title in Buenos Aires. The Argentinian, however, fell into a slump right after that as he dropped 11 of the 24 matches he played before arriving in Cincinnati.
Schwartzman, who is ranked No. 14 in the world, will be looking to make amends at this week's Western & Southern Open. But he will likely face some tough resistance from the talented Frances Tiafoe on Wednesday.
Like Schwartzman, Tiafoe has also had a tough time on the ATP tour in 2021, accumulating a mediocre 17-16 win-loss record so far. But the American did win the ATP Challenger title in Nottingham, and he also upset Stefanos Tsitsipas and Denis Shapovalov at Wimbledon and Toronto respectively.
It is pertinent to note that Tiafoe's best result in Cincinnati came in his first full season in 2017, when he defeated Alexander Zverev in three sets en-route to the Round-of-16.
Diego Schwartzman vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head
Diego Schwartzman leads Frances Tiafoe 1-0 in the head-to-head. Their only encounter came in the second round of the 2021 Barcelona Open, where the Argentinian overcame a one-set deficit to beat his younger opponent.
Diego Schwartzman vs Frances Tiafoe prediction
Diego Schwartzman can hit his groundstrokes with impressive weight despite his relatively small frame. The Argentine prefers playing on slow clay, but even on hardcourt he is one of the best pound-for-pound hitters in the world.
Having said that, Schwartzman often struggles to hold serve against powerful returners on quicker courts. And that weakness is likely to be exposed even more on the medium-fast hardcourts in Cincinnati.
Frances Tiafoe has a decent serve and a strong forehand, two weapons which help him get on top of the baseline exchanges right from the get-go. The 23-year-old is also adept at producing some incredible angles from the back of the court.
While Tiafoe is an aggressive baseliner, he does have a tendency to leak unforced errors when put under pressure. But if he can prevent Schwartzman from dictating terms from the baseline on Wednesday, he just might be able to spring an upset.
Prediction: Frances Tiafoe to win in three sets.