Vienna 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Kevin Anderson preview, head-to-head & prediction | Erste Bank Open
Match details
Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Kevin Anderson
Date: 30 October 2020
Tournament: Erste Bank Open 2020
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Vienna, Austria
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €1,409,510
Match timing: Not before 2 pm local time, 6.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony ESPN
Daniil Medvedev vs Kevin Anderson preview
After overcoming a tough challenge from Vasek Pospisil, 4th seed Daniil Medvedev will lock horns against Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Erste Bank Open on Friday.
The former US Open runner-up seems to be slowly getting back into the groove after a recent dip in form. Medvedev lost the opening set against Pospisil but remained undeterred, subsequently upping his game several notches to win in three sets.
The 24-year-old showed great quality and consistency in his serve, dropping it just once all match. But more importantly, he dealt well with Pospisil’s powerful groundstrokes.
Medvedev hardly broke a sweat in the decider as he raced to a 5-1 lead. He ultimately wrapped up the match by a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Kevin Anderson on the other hand survived by the skin of his teeth in his opening-round fixture against Dennis Novak. Anderson faced three match points at 6-3 down in the third set tiebreak, but a seemingly erroneous call and some clutch tennis from the South African helped him prevail.
Anderson made the most of his miraculous reprieve by knocking out the higher-ranked Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round. This time the 34-year-old won without much drama, wrapping it up in straight sets 7-5, 6-1.
Anderson is known for his missile-like serve, and that weapon has been working very well so far in this tournament. He has sent down a total of 32 aces in the two matches combined, and has been broken just twice.
Daniil Medvedev vs Kevin Anderson head-to-head
The head-to-head between Daniil Medvedev and Kevin Anderson currently stands at 0-0; this will be their first ever encounter on tour.
Daniil Medvedev vs Kevin Anderson prediction
Kevin Anderson’s serve is one of the toughest to deal with on tour, and is even trickier in indoor conditions like Vienna. As such, it is hardly a surprise that the former Wimbledon runner-up has conceded a mere four break points in his two matches so far.
Having said that, Daniil Medvedev is one of the best returners on tour at the moment. Medvedev had great success at neutralizing Pospisil's big serve in the second round.
The Russian's flat groundstrokes, in addition to his own big serve, will likely give Anderson a headache or two on Friday. But the South African could dominate the proceedings early on if his first serve consistently finds the spot.
All things considered, Medvedev should be able to physically outlast Anderson as long as he doesn’t get blown away in the early phases.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.