Australian Open 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (4) Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil

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 million

Live telecast: India - Sony SIX | USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel

Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil preview

World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev takes on Canada's Vasek Posipsil in the first round of the 2021 Australian Open on Tuesday.

Medvedev is by far the most in-form player on the ATP tour at the moment. The Russian will look to take that momentum one step further, and mount a challenge for his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

Medvedev is currently on a whopping 14-match winning streak, with 10 of those wins coming against top 10 opposition.

The 24-year-old picked up the Paris Masters title and the ATP Finals trophy at the end of last season. Then in the opening stages of the 2021 season at the ATP Cup, he produced some outstanding tennis to down the likes of Diego Schwartzman, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini and eventually take his home country Russia to the title.

Vasek Pospisil at Rotterdam 2020

Medvedev's first-round opponent in Melbourne is World No. 61 Vasek Posipsil, who is a veteran of the tour and a familiar foe for the Russian.

Posoisil has had his share of off-court controversies over the past six months, due to his involvement with Novak Djokovic in the formation of the PTPA. However, his tennis has not suffered one bit during this time.

The Canadian reached the US Open fourth round last season, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut and Milos Raonic along the way. His last professional appearance also happened to be a very solid runner-up finish at the Sofia Open in November, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the final.

Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil head-to-head

The first-round encounter in Melbourne is the fourth meeting between the two players. Daniil Medvedev currently leads the head-to-head 2-1 over Vasek Pospisil.

All of their previous meetings have come on hardcourts. While Medvedev prevailed at the Shanghai Masters 2019 and the Vienna Open 2020, Pospisil picked up an impressive straght-sets win in Rotterdam about 11 months ago.

Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil prediction

Daniil Medvedev at the 2021 ATP Cup

Form, previous history on court and ranking all make Daniil Medvedev the overwhelming favorite for his match against Vasek Pospisil.

Medvedev possesses an impeccable defensive game, which is supremely effective on hardcourts. His flat, well-rounded groundstrokes and first-serve accuracy are both massive weapons, which he used efficiently at the Rod Laver Arena last week.

To stand a chance on Tuesday, Posipisil will have to hit big and serve bigger. The Canadian will have to attack the net at every opportunity, looking to win points that have a low margin for error. He may also look to target Medvedev's forehand which, despite being relatively consistent, is not the Russian's biggest strength.

That being said, it is a big ask for any player on tour to beat Medvedev given the way he is playing at the moment. The World No. 4 will be looking to translate his outstanding best-of-three form to Grand Slams, and announce his title-winning credentials from the very first round.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.