Rotterdam 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov preview, head-to-head & prediction | ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
Match details
Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov
Date: 5 March 2021
Tournament: ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament 2021
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €980,580
Match timing: Not before 1 pm local time, 5.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov preview
Stefanos Tsitsipas came through a tough three-set battle against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday, to book his spot in the last eight of the 2021 Rotterdam Open.
The second seed has been rewarded with a quarterfinal matchup against Karen Khachanov, who scored a resounding win over Great Britain's Cameron Norrie in his second-round match.
Khachanov has had a solid week in Rotterdam so far. Before his win over Norrie, he scored an upset over eighth seed Stan Wawrinka in the opening round.
The Russian's big game has come together well in both matches. He has been especially impressive on serve, scoring over 80% of the points behind the first delivery.
The serve bailed him out of some tense situations in the match against Wawrinka, and he will need that part of his game to work again in the quarterfinals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov head-to-head
Stefanos Tsitsipas leads Karen Khachanov in the head-to-head with a 2-0 margin. Both of the duo's meetings have come on hardcourts, with the Greek scoring tight two-set wins each time.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov prediction
Stefanos Tsitsipas has made a strong start to the season, having dropped only one match in his three tournaments so far. He will be looking to back that up with a title run in Rotterdam.
The Greek has been made to work hard in his matches here, but all of the extra match practice is likely to come in handy against a solid-looking Karen Khachanov.
The Russian, on his part, has also managed to turn over a new leaf this week. Having entered the tournament on the back of a few underwhelming results in Australia, Khachanov has managed to raise his level and is beginning to show signs of revival.
If both men play at the level that they have showcased in the tournament so far, this match could go down to the wire. That said, given his recent results and confidence, Tsitsipas might have a slight edge.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.