Adelaide International 1 2023: Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (4) Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Tournament: Adelaide International 1 2023

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $642,735

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis TV | Australia - 9Now

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Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview

Andrey Rublev practicing ahead of the Adelaide International

Andrey Rublev will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Adelaide International 1.

Rublev had a good 2022 season, winning 51 out of 71 matches with four titles to his name. The Russian won the Dubai Tennis Championships along with three ATP 250 titles. He also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and the US Open.

The 25-year-old's final tournament of the 2022 season was the ATP Finals, where he beat the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

Roberto Bautista Agut did not have the best of seasons in 2022, winning 39 out of 59 matches. He did manage to win two ATP 250 titles in Doha and Kitzbuhel, beating Nikoloz Basilashvili and Filip Misolic in the finals, respectively.

The 34-year-old also reached the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors in Basel. He lost his last two matches of the 2022 season at the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

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Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut head-to-head

Rublev leads 4-3 in the head-to-head against Bautista Agut. The last match between the two came in the last 16 of the 2021 Italian Open, with the Russian winning 6-4, 6-4.

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Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut odds

(Odds will be updated when available)

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Andrey Rublev vs Roberto Bautista Agut prediction

Rublev will enter the match as the heavy favorite to win given his ranking and quality. He produced some pretty good performances during the final months of the 2022 season and will look to start 2023 with a win.

The Russian has a very attacking style of play and will look to be aggressive from the start of the match. He will look to make the most out of his strong serve and forehand to put pressure on his opponent. He looks a lot more composed on court and that could help him accumulate fewer unforced errors.

However, Bautista Agut isn't someone who should be written off as he can be a menace to even the best of players on his day. His counterpunching style is just the opposite of Rublev's offensive game.

The Spaniard has impressive defensive skills but is good in sudden switches from defense to offense. He will have to be a bit more aggressive than usual in order to make things tough for Rublev.

The match is capable of being a tightly-contested affair but Rublev looks to have the quality and the hard-court game to get the better of Bautista Agut and reach the second round of the Adelaide International 1.

Pick: Rublev to win in straight sets.