Hamburg final preview and prediction: Basilashvili vs. Rublev

Defending Hamburg champion Nikoloz Basilashvili will take on young Russian Andrey Rublev for a second Hamburg title on Sunday.

The clay courts of Hamburg certainly seem to complement Nikoloz Basilashvili’s game. For the second year in a row, the Georgian will be competing for the title. In 2018, he came up through qualifying and finally dispatched Leonardo Mayer in the final. This time around, he’s taking on 21-year-old Andrey Rublev.

Rublev had one of the best wins of his career in the quarters. He upset French Open finalist Dominic Thiem in straight (though admittedly tight) sets. The world No. 78 has won just one other event, back in 2017 on the clay courts of Umag. He came into Hamburg off a fairly mediocre season. His win-loss record is an even 9-9 on the year, and until this week his best events have been on the Challenger circuit.

Basilashvili and Rublev have already met this season, back in January in Doha. Basilashvili got the better of the Russian in easy straight sets, and he will go into Sunday’s final as the heavy favorite. He has already proven that the conditions suit his game in Hamburg, and he has his own upset win to give him confidence. The Georgian took out No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

Rublev is playing some good tennis this week, but look for Basilashvili to lift the trophy.

Cheryl pick: Basilashvili in 3

Ricky pick: Basilashvili in 3

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