With the top 3 players in the world, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev choosing to sit out the Rotterdam Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas is the top seed at the tournament. In the first round, he will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Match Preview
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Tsitsipas opened the 2022 season sub-optimally following his elbow injury and surgery. His lead up to the Australian Open was nothing to write home about. But he elevated his standard of play at the Grand Slam. He reached the semi-finals to eventually lose to Daniil Medvedev.
On the other hand, his opponent, Davidovich Fokina, has not been in great form for quite some time now. He has been extremely injury prone and the start to the new season has not been ideal for him. The Spaniard lost in the first round of the Sydney Tennis Classic.
While he won his first-round match at the Australian Open, he lost in the second to Felix-Auger Aliassime. Davidovich Fokina also took part at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier, but he could not proceed beyond the first round. Hard-hitting Fokina will be looking to change his fortunes in Rotterdam.
Tsitsipas Vs Davidovich Fokina: Head to Head
Tsitsipas and Davidovich Fokina have met only once before at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters. Though technically Tsitsipas leads the head-to-head 1-0, we must keep in mind that Fokina had to retire after the first set which he lost 7-5.
Stef will play his 1st match at the ABN AMRO WTT in Rotterdam on Tuesday, 8 Feb not before:
7:30 PM CET (local time)
8:30 PM EET (Greece)
1:30 PM EST (New York)
3:30 PM ART (Buenos Aires)
3:30 AM 9 Feb JST (Tokyo)Opponent: A. Davidovich Fokina🇪🇸
Pame Stef!💙Hellas Tsitsipas! pic.twitter.com/Ss426QIhCX
— Tsitsidaily (@tsitsidaily) February 7, 2022
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Prediction: Tsitsipas in three sets
Considering the form that Tsitsipas has showcased so far in this season, he will be the overwhelming favourite to win the match. Even though he’s back on tour after a particularly difficult elbow injury, the way he could control and dominate most of the matches that he played at the Australian Open was pretty impressive. It leads one to believe that it is him that is going to emerge victorious.
Davidovich Fokina will need to elevate his game considerably if he wants a shot at winning. But his style is aggressive, he is quick, and is a great competitor. Given all the details, we believe Tsitsipas will get through the challenge in three sets.
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