US Open 2020: Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Date: 2 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 12.30 pm EDT, 10 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
24th-seed Hubert Hurkacz looks to continue his campaign at the 2020 US Open when he takes on Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a place in the third round.
In a good start to the season, Hubert Hurkacz won all his three matches at the inaugural ATP Cup. He then won three more matches at his next stop in Auckland before falling to Benoit Paire.
The 23-year-old recovered from two sets down to beat Dennis Novak in his Australian Open opener. However, John Millman brought the Pole's campaign to an end at Melbourne Park in the second round.
Either side of opening-round exits in Rotterdam and Dubai, Hubert Hurkacz made the Round of 16 in Marseille. He then lost a third consecutive match as he fell in the opening round at the Cincinnati Masters last week.
But the Pole arrested his losing streak with a straight-sets win over Peter Gojowczyk in the US Open first round on Monday, and would be hoping to build on that to make a deep run in the tournament.
Hurkacz's second-round opponent Davidovich Fokina started his season with a defeat in Auckland, before losing in the second round at the Australian Open to Diego Schwartzman. The 99th-ranked Spaniard won his only other match of the season before the COVID-19 outbreak at the inaugural Santiago Open.
Upon the resumption of the tour, Davidovich Fokina failed to qualify for the main-draw at the Cincinnati Masters last week. But the Spaniard beat Dennis Novak in five sets on Monday to record his second match win at a Grand Slam, and would be looking to extend his New York stay with a win over Hurkacz.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
Hubert Hurkacz has never met his second-round opponent Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a competitive match before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Hubert Hurkacz has made the third round at a Grand Slam on only one occasion previously - at Wimbledon last year, where he fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
But the lanky Pole has a good chance of emulating his Wimbledon run in New York this year. His opponent on Wednesday is far less experienced, having registered both of his Grand Slam match wins this year - with one of them coming on Monday.
Barring an injury or an epic meltdown, Hubert Hurkacz is expected to get past Davidovich Fokina and reach the third round for the very first time at Flushing Meadows.
Prediction: Hubert Hurkacz to win in straight sets.