Open Sud de France Montpellier 2022: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Alexander Bublik preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Roberto Bautista Agut vs (6) Alexander Bublik.
Date: 4 February, 2022.
Tournament: Open Sud de France.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Montpellier, France.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $547,208.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Discovery+ App.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Alexander Bublik preview
Second seed Roberto Bautista Agut will square off against Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Open Sud de France on Friday.
After receiving an opening-round bye, Bautista Agut faced Gilles Simon in the second round. He was leading 6-4, 3-2 when his opponent had to retire. It was an evenly contested match, with quite a few momentum shifts until Simon called it quits. While it wasn't the way the Spaniard would've liked to win, he will take heart from the fact that he has made a victorious start to his campaign.
Bautista Agut reached the final in Montpellier last year, where he lost in a close three-set match against David Goffin. He's now one step closer to making the title round yet again.
Sixth seed Alexander Bublik earned a hard fought 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2 win over home favorite Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round. He held two match points in the second set at 5-4 on the Frenchman's serve but couldn't close out the proceedings, ultimately losing the set in the tie-break. However, he recovered nicely in the deciding set to win the match.
Kazakhstan’s No.1 tennis player Alexander Bublik won the second-round match of the professional tennis tournament - the Open Sud de France.
The Kazakhstani won over Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2. https://t.co/HQorvBgsTl
This is the first time this year that Bublik has won two consecutive matches. He lost in the opening round to Aleksandar Vukic at the Adelaide International 2 followed by a second-round exit at the Australian Open. He'll now look to keep the momentum going in Montpellier.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Alexander Bublik head-to-head
The two have faced off twice before, with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. Bautista Agut won their most recent encounter 6-4, 6-3 at the 2021 Qatar Open.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Alexander Bublik prediction
Considering their recent form, Bautista Agut has the edge in this contest. His counterpunching style often turns the tide in his favor even when he's on the backfoot. While he rarely overpowers his opponents with his groundstrokes, he uses them efficiently by hitting the right spots on the court.
Bublik's main advantage going into this match will be his serve. In 2021, he topped the ATP tour leaderboard with respect to aces. He hit 840 aces across 62 matches last year. So far he has served 31 aces in his two matches in Montpellier.
The Kazakh generates easy power on his groundstrokes too. His unpredictable tactics, including underarm serving and drop shots, also make things difficult for his opponents.
Bautista Agut might lack the weapons Bublik possesses, but his consistency often trumps his opponent's flashiness. Expect the Spaniard to outmaneuver the Kazakh to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in three sets.