Queen's Club 2022: Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Cinch Championships
Match Details
Fixture: Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Date: 15 June 2022
Tournament: Cinch Championships 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,134,520.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
World No. 21 Alex de Minaur will square off against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the 2022 Cinch Championships on Wednesday.
De Minaur's grass season started on a disappointing note as he suffered a straight-sets loss to Adrian Mannarino in the first round of the Libema Open last week. He competed in doubles, but lost in the opening round as well.
De Minaur was up against the big serving Reilly Opelka in the first round of the Cinch Championships. He managed a break of serve to go 4-2 up and held on to that advantage to clinch the set. The Australian went up an early break to lead 3-1 in the second set.
De Minaur had a couple of match points on Opelka's serve at 5-3, but the American held his nerve for a gutsy service hold. The 23-year-old then served out the match to win 6-4, 6-4. A semifinalist at the tournament in 2021, he'll be aiming to go even further this time around.
Demon Mode: Activated 🚨
A near-flawless performance from @alexdeminaur as he secures a first top 20 win on grass, defeating Opelka 6-4 6-4
#cinchChampionsips https://t.co/uMkEVAA9w7
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached his maiden Masters 1000 final at Monte-Carlo in April this year. However, since then, he hasn't won consecutive matches. He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open last season, but crashed out in the first round this year.
Davidovich Fokina kicked off his grass season in London at the Cinch Championships. He took on compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round. He went up a double break to lead 4-1 in the opening set, but squandered the lead as his opponent managed to level the score.
Davidovich Fokina secured another break of serve to lead 6-5 and close out the set with ease. The second set didn't feature as many momentum shifts as the first. The young Spaniard went up an early break and held on to the lead this time.
Did Foki Win? Yes
@DidFokiFall? Also yes
After taking a couple of tumbles on the grass, @alexdavidovich1 overcomes Ramos-Vinolas 7-5 6-4 at the #cinchChampionships https://t.co/IT1bxBkBfb
Ramos-Vinolas saved a match point on his own serve towards the end of the match, but it wasn't enough as Davidovich Fokina secured a 7-5, 6-4 win.
Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
The pair have split their two meetings evenly, with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. This will be their first encounter on grass.
Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Alex de Minaur vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Davidovich Fokina has struggled a fair bit over the last few months, while de Minaur has notched up a few good results from time to time. On current form, the Australian has a slight advantage heading into this contest.
De Minaur won a whopping 89% of his first serve points against Opelka in the first round and held his serve throughout the match. He did well in other aspects of the game too, returning and retreiving well, while troubling his opponent with sliced forehands.
Davidovich Fokina led comfortably against Ramos-Vinolas, but let go of a commanding lead. A similar slip-up might prove costly against de Minaur. The Spaniard is still a novice on grass, having won only a couple of ATP main-draw matches on the surface.
Both players are known for their grit and determination, though de Minaur's superior record on grass is likely to tilt the proceedings in his favor.
Pick: Alex de Minaur to win in three sets.