Toronto 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth preview, head-to-head & prediction | National Bank Open
Match details
Fixture: [1] Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth
Date: 12 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 National Bank Open
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $2,850,975
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth preview
Top seed Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with Aussie James Duckworth in the third round of the 2021 National Bank Open on Thursday.
While Medvedev accounted for Alexander Bublik in his second-round match on Tuesday, Duckworth ousted the newly-crowned Citi Open champion, Jannik Sinner, on Wednesday.
Medvedev, the 2019 runner-up, fought back from a set down to beat Bublik 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Both players dominated on their first serves as expected, but the Kazakh's inferior second delivery allowed Medvedev to make inroads.
An altercation with chair umpire Aurelie Tourte in the third set did briefly impact the Russian, but he soon found his bearings and sealed his fourth win over Bublik.
With the ranking system recently revised by the ATP, Medvedev is defending 600 points from his run in 2019 when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal.
As such, the Russian will be eager to make a deep run in Toronto this year to protect his ranking and ensure a top-two seeding at the US Open.
James Duckworth, meanwhile, is making his main draw debut in the Canadian Open this year after having fallen short in the qualifying rounds on three occasions in the past.
He is now on a four-match winning streak in Toronto, having beaten Peter Polansky and Illya Marchenko in the qualifying rounds before upsetting Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner in the main draw without dropping a set.
That said, Sinner was visibly fatigued in their second-round match and the Australian did not have to do much to advance. However, the 29-year-old will take plenty of confidence from the fact that he also beat the big-serving Fritz on hardcourt.
Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth head-to-head
Daniil Medvedev and James Duckworth have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth prediction
James Duckworth likes to play an aggressive brand of tennis but he often struggles to outhit opponents from the baseline. The Aussie gets plenty of depth on his groundstrokes, which forces opponents back behind the baseline.
Duckworth also likes charging into the net, but he will have to time his forays forward to perfection against Medvedev, who has the ability to hit passing winners from any part of the court.
All things considered, Duckworth does not have enough in his arsenal to go toe-to-toe with the Russian over three sets. His serve, while impressive, is unlikely to earn too many free points against Medvedev, which could be the difference in the end.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.