Monte-Carlo finalist Andrey Rublev will take on Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas for a spot in the Barcelona quarterfinals on Thursday. Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will renew their friendly rivalry.
WC (3) Andrey Rublev vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Andrey Rublev had his first shot at a Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo after a surprise win over Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for the Russian, he ran into an inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final and found himself beaten in straight sets in an underwhelming performance.
The Russian made a late decision to take a wild card into Barcelona, but his first match went quite poorly. Rublev was moody and not in good form, fighting with his racket and his temper in a straight-set but not straightforward win over qualifier Federico Gaio.
“It was the way I was behaving after what I was trying to do in Monte-Carlo.”, Rublev said of his Wednesday performance. “I got the win, which is the most important thing, but I do feel angry.”
Albert Ramos-Vinolas is a dangerous opponent for an out-of-sorts Rublev. The Spaniard has tore it up on the dirt this season. He started his 2021 clay-court campaign with a run to the final in Cordoba and semifinal showings in Buenos Aires and Marbella. Ramos-Vinolas may at least earn a shot at the big upset.
Cheryl pick: Rublev in 3
Ricky pick: Rublev in 2
(7) Denis Shapovalov vs. (10) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have already played in 2021. The Canadians met in the third round of the Australian Open and Auger-Aliassime won that encounter in straight sets. Shapovalov won their 2019 U.S. Open match, so the head-to-head series stands at 2-2 overall.
Both men had first-round byes in Barcelona. The 10th-seeded Auger-Aliassime defeated in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti in his second-round match, while Shapovalov snagged his spot in the third round with a win over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.
The surface should make all of the difference in the outcome of Thursday’s match. Shapovalov has plenty of offensive weapons and he’s a dangerous opponent, but Auger-Aliassime is a better clay-court player. FAA should take this one.
Cheryl pick: Auger-Aliassime in 3
Ricky pick: Auger-Aliassime in 3
WWW?
Rublev in 3; AA in 3.