The first round matches at the 2019 ATP China Open will continue on Monday, September 30 with some of the top men’s players in action on the day. Get the Grigor Dimitrov v Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev v Frances Tiafoe tips, previews and predictions below along with that for a couple of other matches below.
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Grigor Dimitrov v Andrey Rublev Predictions & Preview
This is the fourth meeting between Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev. Their last meeting was at Rotterdam in February 2018, which the Bulgarian won.
Both Dimitrov and Rublev’s careers have taken a bit of a downturn in recent times.
After winning the Masters 1000 at Cincinnati in 2017, the ATP Tour Finals in London, and ending the year as world number three, Dimitrov has had an unimpressive last year and a bit, going into the US Open this year ranked number 78. A semi-final run there, including a five set win over Roger Federer, has moved him into the top 30 of the world ranking again. He will be disappointed to have begun the Asia swing last week with a loss to Alexander Bublik though.
Andrey Rublev was a quarter-finalist at the US Open in 2017, defeating Dimitrov on the way. He was the runner-up at the first ever ‘Next Gen’ Year End tournament in Milan and looked set to scale new highs in 2018. However, the last year has been plagued by injuries for the young Russian.
Rublev has made a good comeback since Wimbledon defeating Dominic Thiem, Stanislas Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios and is back in the top 40 of the ATP rankings.
An exciting match on the cards, and not a typical first round encounter, with a lot to play for either player. Expect Rublev to continue his strong hard court form with a three-set win.
Tip: Rublev to win in three-sets 3/1 with Unibet
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Alexander Zverev v Frances Tiafoe Predictions & Preview
Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe have met five times thus far and this is heavily tilted in favor of the German who has won on four occasions.
Both players are referred to as part of ‘Next Gen’, with Zverev the more accomplished of the two, having won the ATP Tour Finals last year and been ranked world number three.
By Zverev’s lofty standards, he has not had a good season and is number ten in the race to London to defend his crown, winning only one ATP (250) title this year. Tiafoe has shown promise but after winning at Delry Beach last year, has failed to convert opportunities, and good form into consistent results.
Expect another exciting first round match, but the German will be a strong favorite and should win in two close sets.
Tip: Zverev to win in straight sets: 10/11 with Unibet
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Karen Khachanov v Pablo Cuevas Predictions & Preview
While Khachanov leads the head-to-head 2-1, they have not met since early 2018, and the young Russian has evolved significantly since then.
Khachanov is well suited to the hard and indoor season and is the defending champion at the Paris Masters 1000. However, he has had disappointing first round losses at the US Open and St. Petersburg, and will want to end his season well and get his confidence back and running.
Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas is a veteran on the tour, and best suited to the clay courts. He is a winner of six ATP titles, all on the dirt and is typically not associated with the faster surfaces. However, the 33-year-old is well known for his fighting spirit and grit and can never be ruled out, or undermined.
The surface, and conditions both suit the young Russian, who will be determined to get some favorable results sooner rather than later. Expect him to win this encounter in straight sets.
Tip: Khachanov to win in straight sets: 10/11 with Unibet
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Kyle Edmund v Zhizhen Zhang Predictions & Preview
This is the first meeting between British number one Kyle Edmund and China’s Zhizhen Zhang.
After a breakthrough 2018, where he was a Grand Slam semi-finalist and ranked just outside of the top 15, this has been a dismal season for Edmund, who has not managed to get any momentum or consistency all year long.
China’s Zhang is ranked outside the top 200 in the world, and will look to the home crowd support to assist him make a match out of this contest.
Expect Edmund to win in straight sets and get some much needed form and confidence as the season enter its home stretch.
Tip: Edmund to win in straight sets.: 8/11 with Unibet
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