Mallorca Championships 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Sam Querrey preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (1) Daniil Medvedev vs Sam Querrey
Date: 26 June 2021
Tournament: Mallorca Championships 2021
Round: Final
Venue: Mallorca, Spain
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Grass
Prize money: €720,000
Match timing: Not before 4 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 10 am EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs Sam Querrey preview
Daniil Medvedev will fight for his first grasscourt title when he takes on Sam Querrey in the final of the Mallorca Championships on Saturday.
The Russian was in desperate need of match practice heading into Wimbledon next week, and he has impressed on a surface where he has not had the best results in the past.
Medvedev defeated Corentin Moutet and Casper Ruud in straight sets in the first two rounds before taking on local favorite Pablo Carreno Busta in the semifinals. The 25-year-old Russian overcame the fourth seed despite dropping the first set, to set up a showdown with Querrey.
The big-serving American has not had a great year, but he is a threat every time the grasscourt season rolls around. The 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist came to Mallorca on the back of a run to the last four in Stuttgart.
Querrey has carried that momentum to the Spanish city, battling past Roberto Carballes Baena in is his opener before registering straight-sets wins over Roberto Bautista Agut and Adrian Mannarino.
Daniil Medvedev vs Sam Querrey head-to-head
This will be the second match between Daniil Medvedev and Sam Querrey, with the Russian leading the head-to-head 1-0. Their only previous meeting also came on grass, at the 2017 Eastbourne International, where the Russian prevailed in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev vs Sam Querrey prediction
Top seed Daniil Medvedev is the firm favorite on paper, but he will need to be wary of the threat Sam Querrey poses on grass.
Querrey has a game built around a monstrous serve and forehand. When the American is confident in his game, he can paint the lines and fire aces at will.
Medvedev, on his part, has shown that he can be a threat on this surface as well with his flat and accurate groundstrokes. The Russian's serve may not be as potent as Querrey's, but it is still a dangerous weapon.
That said, the Russian will have to be more efficient on breakpoints; he converted just three out of 12 against Carreno Busta. He cannot afford to be that sloppy against Querrey, who has been broken just once in this tournament.
Given Medvedev's level this week, it's unlikely Querrey will be able to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.