A shockingly good matchup–especially considering that this is the post-Wimbledon clay-court swing–will take place in the quarterfinals of the Nordea Open on Friday. It’s Andrey Rublev vs. Alexander Zverev, and they will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers.
The head-to-head series stands at 5-1 in favor of Zverev, but they have not faced each other on clay since their first-ever encounter at the 2016 Monte-Carlo Masters (the German won in straight sets). They most recently met earlier this season on the hard courts of Dubai, where Rublev finally got over the hump in this matchup with a 6-3, 7-6(9) success.
Speaking of Monte-Carlo, Rublev captured the biggest title of his career there this spring–winning a thriller over Holger Rune in the final. The world No. 7 remained in fine form on grass, with a runner-up showing in Halle and a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon (lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets).
Both players have looked good so far in Bastad, but a slight edge goes to Rublev based on his hot streak and his relatively recent victory over Zverev.
Pick: Rublev in 3
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