Paris Masters 2021: Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (16) Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov
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
Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov preview
Grigor Dimitrov and Karen Khachanov will lock horns in an exciting second-round encounter between former top 10 players at the 2021 Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Dimitrov, the 16th seed, recently made the semifinals at Indian Wells, beating the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Reilly Opelka and Hubert Hurkacz before losing to eventual champion Cameron Norrie.
The Bulgarian was then beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas in his Vienna opener and will thus be looking to bounce back and make a deep run in the final Masters 1000 event of the season. Dimitrov opened his campaign in Paris with a three-set win over Richard Gasquet.
Karen Khachanov, meanwhile, has been extremely solid in the second half of the season, winning an Olympic silver medal and reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon,
The Russian has also staged a few deep runs at hardcourt events, including the Kremlin Cup, where he made the semifinals.
Khachanov looked in good touch in his Paris opener, defeating Mikael Ymer in straight sets.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov head-to-head
Grigor Dimitrov leads Karen Khachanov in their current head-to-head by a slender 1-0 margin. The Bulgarian registered a straight-sets win over the Russian in their only prior meeting, which came at the 2020 Vienna Open.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Karen Khachanov prediction
Both Grigor Dimitrov and Karen Khachanov enjoy playing on indoor hardcourts. The Russian's big serve and powerful groundstrokes work well in quick conditions, and he will look to be the aggressor from the baseline against Dimitrov.
The Bulgarian, meanwhile, possesses one of the most well-rounded games on the men's tour and can play just about any shot in the book.
Dimitrov showed flashes of his best tennis in Indian Wells, outmanouevering the best of opponents, including Daniil Medvedev. If he can find that sort of level again, he will certainly be able to take down Khachanov.
Prediction: Girgor Dimitrov to win in three sets