An intriguing first-rounder in Moscow pits Andrey Rublev against a similarly in-form Alexander Bublik on Tuesday. Jeremy Chardy is kicking off his week with what should be a big-serving contest against Andrey Rublev.
Alexander Bublik vs. (6) Andrey Rublev.
Rublev and Bublik will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the first time at the main-draw level when they clash in round one of the VRB Kremlin Cup on Tuesday evening. Their only previous encounter came in qualifying action at this same event in 2016, when Bublik prevailed 6-4, 7-6(10).
Both players are much different–and also in stellar form–now. Rublev is up to a carer-high ranking of 31st in the world that has him in position to be seeded at the 2020 Australian Open. The 21-year-old Russian is 16-6 in his last 22 matches and has not lost an opening match at a tournament since Montreal in early August. Bublik also registers at a best-ever ranking (48th) thanks to having earned 14 of his 20 lifetime ATP-level match victories this season. The Kazakh is always dangerous with his high-risk, high-reward style, but Rublev will likely be too solid in the pressure-packed moments.
Pick: Rublev in 2
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Jeremy Chardy vs. Nicolas Jarry
Chardy and Jarry will be squaring off for the third time in their careers and for the third time this season. They split their two previous meetings; Chardy prevailed 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(5) at the Miami Masters before Jarry got revenge in the form of a 6-1, 6-4 Bastad victory. They are back in Sweden now, but on an indoor hard court instead of clay this time around. That should favor Chardy, who is also in superior form at the moment. The 66th-ranked Frenchman has won his first-round match at eight consecutive tournaments.
Jarry went on to capture the Bastad title–the first of his career–and all three of his final appearances have come on clay. The 78th-ranked Chilean has cooled off since the end of the clay-court swing; in fact, he is 0-5 since lifting the Bastad trophy. All signs point to Chardy taking care of business without too much trouble on Tuesday.
Pick: Chardy in 2
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who ya got?
I’d pay plenty to see that Rublev-Bublik match up….2 fun up & comers! Rublev in 3; Chardy in 3.
it was a fun one!