Madrid Open 2024: Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (7) Andrey Rublev vs (27) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Date: April 28, 2024
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: La Caja Majica, Madrid, Spain
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €7,877,020
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round of the 2024 Madrid Open on Sunday.
After a first-round bye, Rublev took on Facundo Bagnis in the second round. The Russian breezed through the opening set, dropping just one game.
Bagnis played better in the second set, but it wasn't enough to stop Rublev, who nabbed the decisive break in the seventh game and held on for a 6-1, 6-4 victory. It marked his first win of the clay season, snapping a four-match losing streak.
Davidovich Fokina, meanwhile, received a bye into the second round as well, where he was up against Shang Juncheng. The Spaniard relinquished his lead twice in the first set as his opponent pegged him back immediately.
However, Davidovich Fokina got the job done, breaking Shang's serve in the final game of the set. The home favorite encountered some resistance in the second set but did a good job quelling it to secure a 7-5, 6-3 win.
Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
Rublev leads Davidovich Fokina 3-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at last year's Italian Open in straight sets.
Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Rublev finally resumed his winning ways with a victorious start in Madrid. He played at a pretty high level and struck 24 winners in contrast to 10 unforced errors.
Davidovich Fokina was tested by Shang from time to time in the previous round but downed his younger rival to advance further. The Spaniard hit 21 winners against 15 unforced errors.
Neither player has performed consistently well in Madrid as the two have a combined seven wins between them at the venue. A quarterfinal in 2022 was Rublev's best result, while Davidovich Fokina made the fourth round last year.
Rublev will feel pretty good about his chances against Davidovich Fokina. He has won all three of their previous matches, two of which were on clay. If his rough patch is truly behind him, the Russian shouldn't have a problem taking down his next opponent.
Pick: Andrey Rublev to win in straight sets