US Open 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Frances Tiafoe preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Frances Tiafoe
Date: 7 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 7 pm EDT, 4.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Daniil Medvedev vs Frances Tiafoe preview
The last American alive in the men’s draw - Frances Tiafoe - will take on last year’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round of the 2020 US Open.
This is as tough a test as it can get for the young Tiafoe, given that the third-seed Russian is playing some of his best tennis this week. That said, the American will be buoyed by his magnificent victory against Marton Fucsovics on Saturday.
Frances Tiafoe displayed some exemplary attacking skills to get the better of the Hungarian, whom he had never beaten before. Tiafoe's serve and groundstrokes were clicking in a big way, and he’ll be hoping for more of the same against Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev will go into this match-up as the fresher player of the two. The Russian has spent just under six hours on the court, which is a full three hours less than the time spent by Tiafoe.
That said, this will no doubt be Medvedev’s toughest challenge yet too at this year’s US Open. If on song, Tiafoe’s serve and forehand - aided by the faster surfaces this year - will greatly test Medvedev’s defensive skills.
A foray into the second week of the US Open is already a big achievement for Tiafoe, considering he recently recuperated from COVID-19.
Daniil Medvedev vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head
Daniil Medvedev leads Frances Tiafoe by a margin of 2-0 in the head-to-head. Their most recent encounter was in the opening round of this year’s Australian Open, which Medvedev won in four sets.
Daniil Medvedev vs Frances Tiafoe prediction
Frances Tiafoe’s natural game is to attack his opponents with his flat and depth-heavy groundstrokes, especially off his forehand wing. But that won’t be easy against Daniil Medvedev, who excels at returning from the back-end of the court.
The Russian has been positioning himself further behind the baseline than usual to deal with the extra pace of the surface. As such, Tiafoe will not find it easy to penetrate Medvedev's defense despite his powerful game.
Medvedev will be more than prepared for the American’s hard-hitting style, so Tiafoe could look to bring in some variety into his game - especially in the forecourt area. The American had struggled at the net when the pair met earlier in the year at Melbourne, and will look to improve on that.
Taking the pace off the ball and going cross-court more often are a couple of avenues that Tiafoe can explore if he’s to make serious inroads. Apart from that, he will also have to keep his errors to a minimum as Medvedev will not give him any freebies.
Courtesy of his form and pedigree, Danill Medvedev should be expected to win this one. But it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets stretched to his limit by the American.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in four or five sets.