Rotterdam 2023: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Daniil Medvedev preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | ABN AMRO Open
Match details
Fixture: (3) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs (6) Daniil Medvedev.
Date: February 17, 2023.
Tournament: ABN AMRO Open 2023.
Round: Quarterfinals.
Venue: Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Match timing: Approx. 3:00 pm local time, 2:00 pm GMT, 9:00 am EST, 7:30 pm IST.
Prize money: €2,074,505.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Daniil Medvedev preview
Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime will lock horns with former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in a blockbuster quarterfinal at the ABN AMRO Open on Friday.
It was right here in Rotterdam last year that Auger-Aliassime transformed himself into a champion player. After losing his first eight finals on the tour, the Canadian finally tasted title glory when he bested Stefanos Tsitsipas to take home the prize.
The 22-year-old then added three more trophies in Florence, Basel and Antwerp towards the end of the year to firmly establish himself amongst the biggest title contenders.
However, the spark from the Canadian's racquet has somewhat gone missing so far this year. After suffering a first-round defeat at the Adelaide International 1, he went down against rising Czech star Jiri Lehecka in four sets in the Round of 16 at the Australian Open.
Auger-Aliassime will now be desperately looking to get back his lost rhythm at Rotterdam. He cruised through his first couple of rounds with straight-sets wins over Lorenzo Sonego and Gregoire Barrere to reach the last eight.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, on the other hand, made a fine start to the 2023 season. He reached the semifinals of the Adelaide International 1, where he succumbed to a straight-sets defeat at the hands of eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
The Russian looked set for yet another deep run at the Australian Open before coming up against the determined Sebastian Korda in the third round. Although Medvedev stretched two of the sets to tie-breaks, the American still sailed away to a straight-sets victory.
Medvedev will now be eager to return to winning ways at Rotterdam this week. He faced a slight hiccup in his first match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but managed to come through 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the end.
The World No. 11 made no mistakes in the second round, racing away to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Daniil Medvedev head-to-head
Medvedev has a flawless 4-0 lead in his head-to-head record with Auger-Aliassime. Their most recent meeting, at the 2022 Australian Open quarterfinals, turned out to be a thriller, where the Russian came back from two sets down to prevail 6-7 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 6-4.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Daniil Medvedev odds
(Odds will be updated once they are available)
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Daniil Medvedev prediction
Daniil Medvedev should have the edge coming into this contest, having defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in each of their four showdowns so far.
After dropping a set against Fokina in the first round, the Russian looked in control of the proceedings against Van de Zandschulp. He served six aces and saved all six of the break points he faced to deny the Dutchman any chance.
The performance should boost Medvedev's confidence ahead of his meeting with Auger-Aliassime.
The match will be a battle between Auger-Aliassime's serve and Medvedev's return. However, the Canadian produced only 50% first serves against Barrere in the second round. He will know he has to drastically improve that statistic to withstand the pressure coming from the former World No. 1.
Medvedev has fantastic defense and will show no mercy in going after Auger-Aliassime's second serve. If the Canadian can serve well and keep his unforced errors in check, he will be able to keep the match competitive. Otherwise, Medvedev will run away with his fifth consecutive win over the youngster.
Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.