A.Rublev vs H.Hurkacz prediction
A.Rublev
H.Hurkacz
A.Rublev
Andrey is stepping onto grass courts this season for the first time following his early exit in the 1/8 finals of the French Open. The Russian player missed the chance to make a deep run on the clay Major, losing in five sets to Jakub Mensik—a player he should have defeated but didn't manage to, once again, due to a mental lapse.
Recently, under the guidance of Marat Safin, Rublev has been displaying a laid-back demeanor on the court, especially when things don't go his way, which happens often. It's telling that he remains stuck in the top 15 rankings (currently sitting at 13) with clear signs of stagnation in his performance. Marat's attempts to shake him out of this state haven't met with success.
H.Hurkacz
Hubert has overcome a knee injury (he underwent knee arthroscopy) and has returned to the courts after a considerable hiatus. Unsurprisingly, he dropped to 96th in the rankings during this time. Nevertheless, he's now making a concerted effort to regain form on grass, a surface where his gameplay can be quite effective if he performs well.
Last week, however, he lost his opening match on this surface to Marton Fucsovics in 's-Hertogenbosch (6-3, 6-7, 6-7), though the Hungarian remains a tough opponent for him, having won all their four encounters. With Rublev, though, his stats are far more favorable.
Prediction
Hubert leads the head-to-head with a 4-2 record, having won their last two encounters. This marks their first grass-court meeting, and while bookmakers are split down the middle, I see Hurkacz as more of a favorite in this match than the Russian.
Hurkacz has already adapted to the grass and sharpened his game on it. Additionally, his advantage over Rublev is evident with his sharper second serve and a powerful, flat first serve. Rublev returns to the court after a two-and-a-half-week break, which might affect his match sharpness. Coupled with the fact that Hurkacz poses an awkward challenge for him and thrives on his favored surface, the Pole should at least cover the favorable spread in this matchup. Ideally, he could even bag a win.
His serve is a formidable weapon; he was recently a Wimbledon semi-finalist and currently displays better match rhythm compared to Rublev. Thus, Hurkacz's positive spread as an underdog seems confidently backed up.
