Paris Masters 2021: Hubert Hurkacz vs Dominik Koepfer preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (7) Hubert Hurkacz vs Dominik Koepfer
Date: 4 November 2021
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €2,603,700
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Hubert Hurkacz vs Dominik Koepfer preview
Seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz will face off against German Dominik Koepfer in the third round of the 2021 Paris Masters on Thursday.
Hurkacz kicked off his campaign in the final Masters 1000 of the season with a 7-5, 7-6(4) win over Tommy Paul, thereby recording his first ever victory at the tournament. The Pole started off strongly, quickly racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
However, the American staged a huge comeback to level the score at 5-5. Paul even held three break points for a 6-5 lead, but Hurkacz held his serve and then broke to win the opening set.
The Pole found himself in trouble in the second set, but broke Paul's serve when the American was serving for the set and then held his nerve in a back-and-forth tie-break to win the match.
Hurkacz is in the running to qualify for the ATP Finals, and will need to take home the title in Paris to boost his chances.
Dominik Koepfer entered the main draw as a lucky loser and he's made the most of his second chance. After saving a whopping seven match points in his opening-round encounter against former World No. 1 Andy Murray, the German defeated ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 7-5 to progress to the third round.
The German is having the best season of his career at the age of 27, reaching the top 50 for the first time. He will look to maintain his impressive form and end the season on a good note.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Dominik Koepfer head-to-head
This will be the very first career meeting between Hubert Hurkacz and Dominik Koepfer, thus the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Dominik Koepfer prediction
Hubert Hurkacz enters the contest as the favorite, but Dominik Koepfer is more than capable of pulling off an upset.
Hurkacz is one of the best servers on tour right now. His serve was on fire in the opening round against Paul as he hit 13 aces. He will hope to produce a similar serving display against Koepfer.
Hurkacz possesses heavy groundstrokes but he is also comfortable at the net and his all-court game makes him a difficult player to play face.
Koepfer, meanwhile, is playing fearless tennis. The German has a decent lefty serve and is quick around the court. He is also solid from the baseline and does not leak too many errors.
Koepfer has the tools to trouble Hurkacz, but the 24-year-old is the superior player and should be able to come through this contest.
Prediction: Hubert Hurkacz to win in straight sets.