Paris Masters 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Ilya Ivashka preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Daniil Medvedev vs Ilya Ivashka
Date: 3 November 2021
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €2,603,700
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs Ilya Ivashka preview
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will begin his 2021 Paris Masters campaign against Ilya Ivashka in the second round on Wednesday.
While Medvedev received a bye in the first round due to his seeding, Ivashka defeated Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 7-6(2).
Medvedev, the World No. 2, enters the Masters 1000 event as the top favorite alongside Novak Djokovic. The Russian will be looking to bounce back after a shocking loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells last month.
Medvedev will fancy his chances at Paris-Bercy, where he has delivered excellent results in the past. The Russian has landed in a straightforward section of the draw and will avoid facing a seeded player until at least the quarterfinals.
Ilya Ivashka, meanwhile, is enjoying possibly the best season of his career, having won 30 of his 45 matches on the ATP Tour so far. The Belarusian recently gave a tough fight to Andrey Rublev at the St. Petersburg Open and will hope to do the same against Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev vs Ilya Ivashka head-to-head
Ilya Ivashka leads Daniil Medvedev 1-0 in the head-to-head, making him one of very few players to boast a 100% record against the Russian.
Interestingly, Ivashka's win over Medvedev came indoors at the 2018 Davis Cup playoffs.
Daniil Medvedev vs Ilya Ivashka prediction
The conditions at Paris-Bercy have been extremely quick in the past, but that's not the case this year, with reports suggesting the courts are 20% slower. This has resulted in players struggling to hit winners consistently. Pablo Carreno Busta was the only singles player on Monday who struck more winners than unforced errors.
Nevertheless, the conditions should work in Medvedev's favour, given the Russian is one of the toughest players to hit through. Ivashka possesses a big first serve and a powerful forehand but is prone to making a lot of unforced errors when things do not go his way.
Medvedev might take some time to get used to the conditions, but once he does, he should be able to easily thwart the challenge of Ivashka.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.