It has been an enthralling week of tennis at the ATP Gijon Open in Asturias which is now coming to an end with another exciting championship match. The top seed Andrey Rublev takes on the extremely talented Sebastian Korda in a must-watch final. As ever, we at LWOT are offering our preview and prediction for the final, but who will come out on top in Spain?
ATP Gijon Final Prediction
Sebastian Korda vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-head: Korda 1-0 Rublev
Expect a high-quality final. Both Korda and Rublev are heavy hitters of the ball from the baseline and one can again expect a very high level of shot making. Korda has played a solid level of tennis throughout this week and he definitely poses the biggest challenge for Rublev this week. Rublev hasn’t been particularly stretched in his last two matches, despite coming up against former-world #3 Dominic Thiem in the semifinals, but it feels like he will need to find another level of tennis if he’s to win the final.
The Russian on his day is unstoppable and with the way the week’s been building up, it’s not out of the question that Rublev makes it a one-man show. There’s a lot to like about the young American, but he can be a little too one dimensional at times. Korda can hit through opponents with both his forehand and backhand, and he also boasts a powerful serve, but he is not blessed with particular finesse.
More concerning for Korda, Rublev is that much more consistent off the ground and is arguably the more powerful of the two off the ground. It should be a tight encounter and Korda certainly has a chance to win this match, particularly if he can attack Rublev’s occasionally vulnerable second serve. Still, expect Rublev to have just about enough to edge a close final.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
