Italian Open 2021: Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (16) Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Date: 11 May 2021

Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Rome, Italy

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €2,082,960

Match timing: 10 am local time, 1.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview

16th seed Grigor Dimitrov is set to open his 2021 Italian Open campaign with a first-round encounter against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Tuesday.

Dimitrov has had a poor start to his claycourt season, having made early exits in his only two appearances. The Bulgarian will be hoping for a better result this week in Rome, where he is a former semifinalist.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, is in the midst of a purple patch of sorts. Last month the youngster reached the semifinals and quarterfinals of the ATP events in Barcelona and Estoril respectively.

Davidovich Fokina has been playing some fine tennis lately. His big game - which is built around a potent serve and a varied arsenal of groundstrokes - was on full display in his recent wins over the likes of Matteo Berritini and Jeremy Chardy.

If the Spaniard brings the same level of tennis on Tuesday, he could well ask a few questions of Dimitrov.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head

Grigor Dimitrov will be keen on moving past the disappointment of his recent early exits

This is set to be the first career meeting between Grigor Dimirov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction

Both Grigor Dimitrov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have a somewhat similarly well-rounded game, and the outcome of this match could well be decided by the finest of margins.

Dimitrov has a lot more experience than his younger opponent, but his recent results fail to insprie much confidence. The Bulgarian has suffered a couple of poor losses while looking a little out-of-sorts, and the slower conditions in Rome are unlikely to aid his game either.

Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, has shown that he can hold his own against big names. He took a set off Daniil Medvedev in Madrid last week, and will definitely be eyeing an upset here in Rome.

If the Spaniard can manage to put Dimitrov under pressure from the get-go, he might walk away with the win in this one.

Prediction: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to win in three sets.