The evening session at the ATP Cup on Tuesday features Russia vs Australia and Canada against Great Britain. The former tie takes place between two teams who won their first match, while Canada will have to win to avoid elimination. Who do you think will win?
ATP Cup Day 4 Predictions
Roman Safiullin vs James Duckworth
Head-to-head: First meeting
Roman Safiullin scored a massive upset over Arthur Rinderknech in his first match of the year, but following it up won’t come easy. The last time we saw him, James Duckworth truly established himself as a tour-level competitor and had a career-best quarterfinal run at the Paris Masters. There might be an injury concern though as the Australian pulled out before his match against Jannik Sinner on Sunday due to hip soreness. This should largely depend on whether Duckworth is fully fit and ready to compete.
Prediction: Duckworth in 3
Daniil Medvedev vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head: Medvedev 3-0
Daniil Medvedev will be desperate to give a good showing following a surprising loss to Ugo Humbert on Sunday. The Russian made up for a lost point by taking the doubles later on and should only get better with more match practice. Alex de Minaur always seems to raise his game in his hometown (2018 runner-up and 2019 champion of the Sydney International) and won’t go away easily with the help of the Australian crowd. It’s not a particularly good match-up for the 22-year-old though as he prefers opponents with more conventional game plans.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: Evans 2-1
Denis Shapovalov opted not to play singles in Canada’s first match, citing fatigue. The 22-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Sydney and while he’s cleared to play, the consequences of that could hamper his ability to perform here. Dan Evans can disrupt rhythm very well with his backhand slice and while his form before the end of 2021 was a little down, the Brit played a great match to beat Jan-Lennard Struff on Sunday and won’t have to shake off the rust like his opponent.
Prediction: Evans in 3
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Cameron Norrie
Head-to-head: Auger-Aliassime 2-0
Cameron Norrie blew three match points in a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in Vienna, which was also a massive setback for his campaign to qualify for the ATP Finals. His style tests the Canadian’s rally tolerance, which is known to be a bit unsteady depending on the day. Both players kicked off their ATP Cup campaigns with a loss. Auger-Aliassime lost a tight three-setter to Taylor Fritz, while Norrie went out in two to Alexander Zverev. The Brit’s game seems a lot easier to perform when not exactly tuned in yet. Auger-Aliassime might need more time to find his footing.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
