Madrid R2 previews and predictions: Medvedev vs. Davidovich Fokina, Bautista Agut vs. Isner

Daniil Medvedev will be back in action for the first time since Miami when he kicks off his Madrid campaign against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Wednesday. Roberto Bautista Agut and John Isner are also taking the court.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (2) Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev may be the No. 2 seed at the Mutua Madrid Open, but he cannot be counted among the title favorites. In fact, he might not even make it out of his first match. The third-ranked Russian goes into Madrid with a ton of question marks, starting with the fact that clay has always been by far his worst surface. Additionally, he is coming off a bout with coronavirus in which he had symptoms and was unable to do much of anything for almost two weeks.

Up first for Medvedev on Wednesday is Davidovich Fokina, whom the two-time Grand Slam champion has never faced. Much unlike Medvedev, Davidovich Fokina is a force on clay. The 49th-ranked Spaniard has already won 13 main-tour matches this season–seven on the red stuff, including a three-tiebreaker victory over Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Tuesday. Playing on clay and in Spain against a vulnerable opponent, this is a great opportunity for Davidovich Fokina.

Pick: Davidovich Fokina in 2

(9) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. John Isner

Bautista Agut and Isner will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers and for the second time this year. They just met at the Miami Masters, where Bautista Agut prevailed 6-3, 4-7, 7-6(7) from match point down. Overall, Inser leads 3-2 in what has been an incredibly competitive head-to-head series. Four of their five encounters have required final sets and the only exception is a 7-6(1), 7-6(5) result in the American’s favor two years ago in Miami.

All signs point to another fun one. Bautista Agut has a considerable edge in current form and given the clay-court surface–even though he also prefers hard courts. In the high altitude of Madrid, however, Isner’s serve can be even more overwhelming than it is under more normal circumstances. That will help the world No. 39 keep this one close, but Bautista Agut has been winning a lot more matches in 2021 and the confidence from that should see him through the pressure-packed moments.

Pick: Bautista Agut in 3