Madrid 2023: Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick | Mutua Madrid Open
Fixture: (3) Daniil Medvedev vs (Q) Alexander Shevchenko
Date: May 1, 2023
Tournament: Madrid Masters 2023
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €7,705,780
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko preview
2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with qualifier Alexander Shevchenko in the third round of the 2023 Madrid Open on Monday.
After a first-round bye, Medvedev faced Andrea Vavassori, who knocked out Andy Murray, in the second round. The Russian faced break points across two of his service games in the opening set, while making zero inroads on his opponent's serve.
This changed in the final game of the set, with Medvedev converting his very first break point to secure a break of serve and claim the set. Vavassori kept up with the former World No. 1 until midway through the second set. Medvedev then went on a three-game run to win the match 6-4, 6-3.
After coming through the qualifying rounds, Shevchenko scored a straight-sets win over J.J. Wolf in the first round. He was up against World No. 37 Jiri Lehecka in the second round.
Lehecka proved to be no match for Shevchenko, with the Russian losing just one game across both sets to win the match 6-1, 6-1. Playing in his very first Masters 1000 tournament, he has now made it to the third round in a memorable debut.
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko prediction
Shevchenko put up a dominant display of tennis to oust Lehecka in the previous round. He needed less than an hour to defeat the Czech, hammering 24 winners while committing just three unforced errors.
Medvedev did enough to get past Vavassori, but will need to be mindful of Shevchenko in the next round. The 22-year old isn't afraid to paint the lines with some spectacular winners and is quite smart regarding his shot selection as well.
Medvedev's results on clay pale in comparison to his achievements on hardcourts, but he's still a relatively skilled player on the surface. He can expect a tough challenge from Shevchenko in the baseline exchanges.
However, Medvedev has a slight edge in this match-up thanks to his serve. He has been in terrific form over the last few months. He has also lost only four matches this year, with Sebastian Korda being the only non-top 10 player to defeat him.
Shevchenko is still the new kid on the block and is currently navigating uncharted territory. While he's capable of putting up a decent challenge, Medvedev's experience should help him prevail in the end.
Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.