ATP Atlanta: Jordan Thompson vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

Australia’s Jordan Thompson has reached the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Open for the second time in his career. In the quarterfinals, he will face Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Fokina has struggled with injuries and a lack of form this year, but he hasn’t dropped a set in this tournament so far! Can he maintain his dominant run in Atlanta?

Well, Thompson has already tasted victory this year, winning a title in Los Cabos. Additionally, he has reached two semifinals and three quarterfinals this season. Looking at his Spanish opponent’s record for the 2024 season, Fokina has reached two quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see if he can take it a step further and make it to the semifinals in Atlanta.

Jordan Thompson vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Preview

The 30-year-old Aussie tennis star enters this match after a comfortable victory against Frenchman Harold Mayot in the Round of 16. Thompson defeated Mayot in straight sets. Examining the numbers from that match, Jordan Thompson scored 9 aces and committed just a single double fault. He won 84% of his first serve points and 83% of his second serve points. Notably, he was 3/3 in break points.

Jordan Thompson has hit 210 aces so far in the 2024 season but has committed 47 double faults. He has won 80% of his service games compared to just 18% of his return games.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, enters this match after victories in his previous two matches. In the last match, he defeated America’s Reilly Opelka 7-5, 7-5. Fokina hit 3 aces and committed 1 double fault against Opelka. He won 75% of his first serve points, but this dropped to 72% on his second serve. In break points, he managed only 2/10.

So far this season, the 25-year-old Spanish tennis star has hit 101 aces and committed 39 double faults. He has won 79% of his service games and 20% of his return games.

Thompson vs Fokina: Head-to-Head

Well, their head-to-head record is evenly poised at 1-1. However, it has been almost three years since their last meeting. Let’s take a look at the results and numbers from their previous encounters.

• Their first meeting was in 2019 at the French Open. In that first-round match, Jordan Thompson had the last laugh! He defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets.
• However, in their second meeting, Fokina came back with an impressive victory in the Round of 32 at the European Open, winning 6-3, 6-3. Now, who will take the lead in their third faceoff?

Prediction: Thompson to win this match in two sets

If we look at their form this season, then there would surely be one name that would stand tall in this battle in Atlanta. His name is Jordan Thompson! The Australian has reflected a fair bit of consistency this season and he’ll be keen to hold that momentum for the rest of the season. He has a win-loss record of 22-17, but for Fokina it’s currently 13-14. So, even here, the Aussie has an edge!

Now, if we look at their rankings, well there isn’t much difference though. Thompson is ranked 41 in the men’s singles, whereas Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is placed at the 43rd spot in the rankings. Both of these tennis stars come up with an aggressive style of play. However, Jordan Thompson can hit some really solid shots on both the wings. He loves engaging in longer rallies and also has good serve, volleys in his armory.

On the other hand, Fokina can disguise his opponent pretty well with his drop shots and this is something that the Australian should be very careful of in this match. His quick movement and powerful groundstrokes can make him a tricky player to handle. Can Thompson handle his tricks well enough? Well, he often loves playing the ball off the ground. Probably he would smash his hurdles similarly in this match!