Madrid Open 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (2) Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Date: 5 May 2021

Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Madrid, Spain

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €2,614,465

Match timing: 11 am local time, 2.30 pm IST

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

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Daniil Medvedev will begin his claycourt campaign on Wednesday when he takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

Medvedev, who returned a positive coronavirus test in Monte Carlo last month, has missed close to three weeks of tennis. But the Russian has made a full recovery, and he returned to action on a doubles court in the Spanish capital.

Joining forces with Brazil's Marcelo Demoliner, Medvedev knocked out the British pair of Dan Evans and Neal Skupski on Sunday.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, meanwhile, has already made his presence felt on European clay. The 21-year-old attained a significant milestone at Monte Carlo, where he reached the last eight of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career.

Davidovich Fokina took it a notch higher in Estoril, beating seasoned campaigners Pablo Andujar and Jeremy Chardy en route to the semifinals.

The Spaniard is making his second main-draw appearance at the Madrid Masters this year. He posted his maiden win at the tournament on Tuesday, taming Pierre-Hugues Herbert in a match featuring three tiebreak sets.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head

Daniil Medvedev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have never played each other before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction

Daniil Medvedev returns to action on Wednesday

By his own admission, Daniil Medvedev has never taken a liking to claycourt tennis. The Russian is still a versatile player capable of producing the odd deep run on the surface, as evidenced in his 2019 season, but consistency has eluded him so far.

To make matters worse, Medvedev is woefully short on match practice right now. Having had to undergo a mandatory period of isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, the 25-year-old hasn't played a singles match in over a month.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will fancy his chances of causing an upset if Medvedev doesn't get into his groove quickly. But the high altitude in Madrid, which peaks at 2,200 feet, could play a big role on Wednesday.

Medvedev should thrive in these conditions, given his ability to serve big and to absorb the pace of his opponents. We can expect the Russian to return to winning ways in what should be a close contest.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.