US Open 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Dan Evans preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Daniil Medvedev vs (24) Dan Evans
Date: 5 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Daniil Medvedev vs Dan Evans preview
Second seed Daniil Medvedev takes on Britain's Dan Evans in the fourth round of the 2021 US Open on Sunday.
The Russian is one of the top contenders for the title at Flushing Meadows this year. Medvedev came into the US Open after consolidating his place as World No. 2 by winning the title at the Canada Masters and reaching the semifinal at the Cincinnati Masters.
The 25-year-old has been unchallenged in New York so far, routinely dispatching Richard Gasquet, Dominik Koepfer and Pablo Andujar on his way to the second week.
Evans, meanwhile, has had an up-and-down 2021 season. The Brit has a win-loss record of 17-16 this year, having won a title (in Melbourne) and reached the semifinal in Monte Carlo (defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic along the way).
In recent times, however, inconsistency has plagued the Evans. The 31-year-old had won just won match at the four events he played during the American hardcourt series prior to arriving in New York.
At Flushing Meadows, Evans got past Marcos Giron and Thiago Monteiro in four sets before overturning a two-set deficit against Alexei Popyrin in the third round.
Daniil Medvedev vs Dan Evans head-to-head
The fourth round encounter in New York is the first match between Daniil Medveev and Dan Evans, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Daniil Medvedev vs Dan Evans prediction
Dan Evans' comeback on Thursday would have given him plenty of confidence. But given Daniil Medvedev's momentum and record on hardcourts, the Russian is the overwhelming favorite for this encounter.
Medvedev's game is well-suited to the conditions in New York. His conterpunching playing style has always done well on quick courts, and his serving numbers have been particularly impressive this week.
Evans, on his part, is solid from the baseline, and his variety and movement could pose a few challenges to the World No. 2. The Brit has also shown plenty of grit this week, and he has a bit of a knack of troubling top 10 players.
While this is by far the trickiest encounter until now for Medvedev, his movement, backhand, return and serve have all looked in-tune this week. On the basis of his strengths alone, he should be expected to comfortably advance to the last eight.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.