Australian Open 2021: Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann

Date: 9 February 2021

Tournament: Australian Open 2021

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Melbourne, Australia

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: AUD $80,000,000

Match timing: Not before 12 pm local time, 6:30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport 1 | India - Sony Six

Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann preview

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev pose with the ATP Cup trophy

Coming off a breakout 2020 season, seventh seed Andrey Rublev will be looking to make a statement at the Australian Open this year as he takes on Germany's Yannick Hanfmann in his opener on Tuesday.

Rublev reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the US Open and the French Open last year, and also won five ATP titles - with three of them coming at the ATP 500 level. The Russian carried his rich vein of form into the new year too, as he joined forces with his good friend Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Cup to help Russia win the coveted title.

Rublev didn't drop more than three games in any set during the group stages of the ATP Cup, blitzing past Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka and Argentina's Guido Pella. The World No. 8 did struggle against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in the semifinals though, eventually clinching the win in three sets.

In the final against Italy, Rublev was back to his scintillating best as he routed World No. 17 Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2.

The Russian is also on a five-match winning streak at the moment, having not lost a singles match since facing defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Nitto ATP Finals. Rublev is expected to extend his winning run on Tuesday when he takes on World No. 101 Yannick Hanfmann.

Despite having been a Challenger level player for most of his career, Hanfmann reached the final of the Kitzbuhel Open in 2020 (where he lost to Next Gen player Miomir Kecmanovic). That said, the German has never advanced past the first round of a Major.

Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann head-to-head

The first-round match in Melbourne will be the first-ever career meeting between Andrey Rublev and Yannick Hanfmann, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann prediction

Yannick Hanfmann serves at the 2021 Great Ocean Road Open

Andrey Rublev's controlled agression yielded good results last year as he put together a 41-10 win-loss record on the tour. The Russian has made significant improvements to his backhand too, and has started using it to effectively change direction in the rallies.

That said, Rublev's USP is still his inside-out forehand from the backhand corner. His ability to keep the pressure on the opponent with his heavy groundstrokes is also a nightmare for most opponents.

Hanfmann himself has powerful groundstrokes, but he doesn't quite have the same weight of shot as his opponent. Moreover, Rublev's return of serve has been right on the money in 2021, and that will likely be an important factor in offsetting Hanfmann's power hitting.

Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in straight sets.