Italian Open 2021: Reilly Opelka vs Aslan Karatsev preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Reilly Opelka vs Aslan Karatsev
Date: 13 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,082,960
Match timing: 10 am local time, 8 am GMT, 4 am EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Reilly Opelka vs Aslan Karatsev preview
After getting past third seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round on Wednesday, World No. 27 Aslan Karatsev will cross swords with the big-serving Reilly Opelka for a place in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Italian Open.
Karatsev was in control of the proceedings against Medvedev right from the get-go, bagging nearly 48% of his first return points en route to winning the first set 6-2. Things didn't improve much for Medvedev in the second set, as his countryman put up a power-packed display to register a straight-sets victory.
The 6'11" Reilly Opelka has also had a good week in Rome. After enduring a rough start to the new year, where he dropped seven of his first 10 matches, Opelka has made amends at the Italian Open.
The American has beaten Richard Gasquet and Lorenzo Musetti convincingly this week to reach the Round of 16.
Opelka, who is ranked No. 47 in the world, registered some big scalps last year - including the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini and Diego Schwartzman. Having said that, he has registered his best results on the faster surfaces; the American doesn't have much experience of playing on clay.
Reilly Opelka vs Aslan Karatsev head-to-head
Reilly Opelka and Aslan Karatsev are yet to face each other on the tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Reilly Opelka vs Aslan Karatsev prediction
Aslan Karatsev is one of the most aggressive baseliners on the tour right now. Possessing solid strokes on both wings, the Russian constantly looks to hit through his opponents on every surface.
But Karatsev can also stay in long rallies when the situation calls for it, and has shown great physical conditioning in some of his wins this season.
As good as Karatsev may be though, he lacks the ability to hit aces for fun - which happens to be Reilly Opelka's forte. The American has blasted 41 aces in his two matches so far this week, and will be looking to dominate the proceedings with his serve on Thursday too.
The key for Opelka will be to maintain a high percentage of first serves, and following them up with deep groundstrokes to keep the exchanges short.
Karatsev on his part will try to make inroads on Opelka's serve by prolonging the rallies. The American's large frame makes it difficult for him to move on clay, which is something that the Russian can use to his advantage.
Utlimately, the result might come down to movement on clay - an area where Karatsev holds a distinct advantage.
Prediction: Aslan Karatsev to win in three sets.