Roland Garros 2021: Andrey Rublev vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (7) Andrey Rublev vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Date: 1 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red Clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: Approx. 1 pm local time, 11 am GMT, 7 am EST, 4.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Andrey Rublev vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev will begin his 2021 Roland Garros journey against a familiar foe in the form of Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
Rublev has had a rather successful claycourt season. He defeated Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud en route to the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, and followed it up with quarterfinal runs in Barcelona and Rome. The Russian will be keen to build on those results and stage a deep run at Roland Garros this year.
Struff is also in the middle of a purple patch; the German reached the quarterfinals in Cagliari before making the first final of his career in Munich.
Struff also led Rublev by a set in their second-round match at the Italian Open before going on to lose a tight three-set affair.
Andrey Rublev vs Jan-Lennard Struff head-to-head
Andrey Rublev leads Jan-Lennard Struff 3-2 in their head-to-head. The Russian has won the pair's last two meetings, although both were close encounters that went the distance.
Andrey Rublev vs Jan-Lennard Struff prediction
Given his superior ranking and form, Andrey Rublev will enter this contest as a firm favorite. The Russian will, however, need to guard against complacency, having lost to lower-ranked opponents -- John Isner and Lorenzo Sonego -- in his last two tournaments.
Rublev will look to take the initiative early in the match using his strong serve and powerful forehand. The Russian has a high-risk game and he will need to ensure he doesn't offer too many free points like he has done in some of his recent matches.
Struff will draw plenty of confidence from the fact that he was able to take a set off Rublev in their recent encounter in Rome. The hard-hitting German likes to play points on his own terms, but he might find it difficult to control rallies against a player as aggressive as Rublev. Thus, he will need to find other ways to mount pressure on his higher-ranked opponent.
Expect a tight battle with Rublev eking out a victory.
Predictions: Andrey Rublev to win in four sets
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