Paris Masters 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin
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
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin preview
After a first-round bye, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will kick off his 2021 Paris Masters campaign on Wednesday against Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
Tsitsipas enters this tournament on the heels of a disappointing performance at last week's Vienna Open. The 23-year-old was leading 3-0 against Frances Tiafoe in the deciding set of the Round of 16, but a flurry of errors saw him lose the set 6-4.
2021 has been Tsitsipas' career-best season so far, with important milestones like winning his first Masters 1000 title, reaching his maiden Grand Slam final and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 3. But the Greek's results over the last couple of months have been underwhelming, and he'll be looking for a change in fortunes in Paris.
Alexei Popyrin, meanwhile, lost in the qualifying rounds at Bercy but entered the main draw as a lucky loser. He made the most of his second chance as he easily defeated compatriot Alex de Minaur 6-0, 6-3 in the opening round.
With a 20-20 record for the year, Popyrin has had an average season so far. He did win his maiden title at the Singapore Open, an ATP 250 event, but was the only highlight of his season.
Aside from Singapore, the Aussie hasn't made the quarterfinals at any other event.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin head-to-head
This will be the very first encounter between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexei Popyrin, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexei Popyrin prediction
Stefanos Tsitsipas would be hoping to gain some momentum and confidence in Paris so that he can go toe-to-toe against the top players at the ATP Finals later this month.
Following his loss to Tiafoe last week, the 23-year-old spoke about the need to fix the weak spots in his game, especially his serve. But the shot will be put to the test again in his match against Alexei Popyrin.
The lanky Australian is equipped with a good serve and a solid forehand, and he also likes to finish off points at the net. If he gets into his groove on the return, Popyrin could make some inroads on Tsitsipas' serve.
The Greek meanwhile will need to play with controlled aggression, as in his last match he made an uncharacteristically high number of errors. He still has the advantage of experience in this matchup though, which will likely help him triumph.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in straight sets.