Fan favorite Frances Tiafoe will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round (R64) of the Westerns & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Both stars chose to play in Atlanta, instead of taking part in the Paris Olympics, to keep them ready for the North American swing. The 2024 season hasn’t been great for either of them. So, they will be keen to get some wins under their belts before the action gets started at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Tiafoe can be a fan favorite, but is he a favorite to win this match on his home soil?

Frances Tiafoe vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Preview

Tiafoe has indeed had a disappointing season so far, but he has still made quite a few long runs in previous tournaments. The 26-year-old American tennis star has reached one final, two SFs, and four QFs this season. This depicts his potential to perform on the bigger stages of the game, but at the same time, we can see that he has failed to deliver when it mattered the most. Tiafoe is entering this match after his first-round exit at the hands of Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the Canadian Open.

Fokina’s best record this season has been reaching the QFs thrice in previous tournaments. He played against Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in his previous match in Montreal. Although he managed to reach the R16, Fokina was forced to retire from that match at 6-4, 6(5)-7, 0-3 due to an injury. Now, the question will be, how fit is the Spaniard to battle against someone as athletic as the ‘Big Foe’?

Tiafoe vs Fokina: Head-to-Head

Tiafoe is a force to reckon with on hard courts. Although Fokina found his biggest success on clay, it was Tiafoe who had the last laugh when they met each other the last time. It was also their first meeting, and currently, the H2H is 1-0 in favor of the American.

• 2022 Estoril Open QF: Tiafoe 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-5.

Prediction: Tiafoe to win in straight sets

Fokina’s injury concerns and Tiafoe’s home advantage pit this match in favor of the American. From their previous meeting, we can see that the Spaniard is capable of putting up a stern challenge. Playing in front of the home crowd will surely give an added advantage to Tiafoe and we expect a confident performance from ‘Big Foe’ in this match. Talking about confidence, the American has a win-loss record of 19-19, compared to just 16-17 of Fokina.

Even in the rankings, Tiafoe (26) is way ahead of Fokina (53). Now, if we look at their playing styles, Tiafoe is more of an aggressive offensive player who relies heavily on his big serves and powerful forehands. Talking about his forehands, well, that shot carries a heavy topspin and is driven by unusual arm motion. That’s one of his favorite shots and he hits a very heavy forehand compared to his flat bouncing backhand. Tiafoe is a good returner and he prefers to hit the ball inside the baseline.

Fokina on the other hand also has an aggressive style of play but he’s known for his incredible drop shots. The Spaniard often uses underarm serve during his matches. His quick movements and powerful groundstrokes are something that Tiafoe needs to keep an eye on. Fokina’s matches are full of entertainment.

He loves throwing his body to play the shots from awkward positions. His unique ability to hit excellent returns and find those sharp angles is what makes him a really special player. However, in this match, ‘Foki’ may find it a bit difficult to get his desired results against ‘Big Foe‘. We’re going for the American on American soil!