A showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Bublik headlines the opening schedule at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. Aslan Karatsev and Tommy Paul are also in action.
Alexander Bublik vs. (2) Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev and Bublik will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers (third time on the main tour) when they meet again in round one of the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. All three of their previous encounters have gone the way of Medvedev, who is 7-0 in total sets. They most recently faced each other at the French Open a couple of months ago, when the Russian cruised 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
Clay is Medvedev’s worst surface, so that result is especially concerning for Bublik. Hard courts are the world No. 2’s happy place (see: runner-up finishes at the 2019 U.S. Open and 2021 Australian Open plus the Nitto ATP Finals title last fall). Meanwhile, Bublik played on grass last week in Newport and reached the semis; this will be a quick turnaround for him on a different surface. Even though the 40th-ranked Kazakh is playing well, all signs point to Medvedev rolling in straight sets.
Pick: Medvedev in 2
(11) Aslan Karatsev vs. Tommy Paul
Karatsev is hoping to recapture the early-season magic that carried him to the semifinals of the Australian Open and an ATP 500 title in Dubai. The 24th-ranked Russian reached a final on clay in Belgrade, but for the most part he has cooled off. Karatsev is 2-5 in his last seven matches after compiling a 2-3 record on grass.
The good news for Karatsev is that Paul has not played since Roland Garros because of injury. Although the 54th-ranked American performed well enough on the red stuff, he lost his last three hard-court matches this spring–including first-round exits from Acapulco and Miami. It will be tough for Paul to get back in a groove against Karatsev, who has far more firepower and will be able to dictate play from start to finish.
Pick: Karatsev in 2
WWW?
Med in 3; karasetv in 2.