Davis Cup Qualifiers 2022: Carlos Alcaraz vs Marius Copil preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (ESP) Carlos Alcaraz vs (ROM) Marius Copil.

Tournament: Davis Cup.

Date: 4 March 2022.

Round: Qualifying Round.

Venue: Marbella, Spain.

Category: ITF Tournament.

Surface: Outdoor Clay.

Live telecast: Spain - Movistar | Romania- DigiSport.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marius Copil preview

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz will make his Davis Cup debut on Friday, when he takes on Romania's Marius Copil in Marbella.

The Spaniard is in red-hot form at the moment. After winning the title in Umag and the NextGen ATP Finals last year, Alcaraz has continued to make giant strides this season.

He made it to the third round of the Australian Open, where he pushed Matteo Berrettini to the brink before losing a fifth-set tie-break.

The Spaniard's next outing was at the 2022 Rio Open, where he emerged with his first title at the ATP 500 level. Alcaraz got revenge over Berrettini in the quarterfinals before beating Fabio Fognini in the semifinals and Diego Schwartzman in the final. With his win in Rio, he became the youngest man since Rafael Nadal to reach the top 20.

Copil, meanwhile, plies his trade mostly on the Challenger tour, where he has a 4-3 win-loss record for the year.

While he is currently ranked 261st in the world, Copil reached a career-high ranking of World No. 56 in 2019 and has some experience on the big stage. The 31-year-old reached two tour-level finals in Basel and Sofia back in 2018.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marius Copil head-to-head

The qualifying round at the Davis Cup will be the first match between Alcaraz and Copil, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marius Copil prediction

Alcaraz with the 2022 Rio Open trophy

Alcaraz will look to use the recent momentum and confidence he has gained to ensure Spain's passage into the Davis Cup Finals.

The Spaniard's favorite surface is clay and he has a game tailor-made for the surface. The 18-year-old has fantastic footspeed and heavy groundstrokes that allow him to dictate play from the baseline. His serve is also a weapon.

Copil, meanwhile, has a big serve, but lacks the firepower to be able to trouble Alcaraz. The Spaniard is in the form of his life at the moment and is unlikely to be tested by the out-of-form Copil.

Prediction: Alcaraz to win in straight sets.