Moscow 2021: Karen Khachanov vs John Millman preview, head-to-head & prediction | VTB Kremlin Cup

Match details

Fixture: (3) Karen Khachanov vs John Millman

Date: 22 October 2021

Tournament: VTB Kremlin Cup

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: Moscow, Russia

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $697,125

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

Karen Khachanov vs John Millman preview

Karen Khachanov staged a strong comeback in his opening match at the 2021 Kremlin Cup, defeating James Duckworth in three sets. He will now take on another Australian in the form of John Millman in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Khachanov, a former champion in Moscow, started nervously against Duckworth but grew stronger as the match progressed, and eventually closed out the win.

John Millman has played two marathon matches this week.

Millman, meanwhile, has been made to work extremely hard for his spot in the last eight. The 32-year-old posted back-to-back marathon wins over Benjamin Bonzi and Ilya Marchenko to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Australian faces another uphill battle when he takes on home favorite Khachanov next.

Khachanov vs John Millman head-to-head

Karen Khachanov and John Millman have split their two previous meetings, so the current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock, The Australian won their most recent encounter, which took place at the 2020 Auckland Open.

Karen Khachanov vs John Millman prediction

Khachanov will look to take on the role of the aggressor.

Karen Khachanov and John Millman play vastly different styles of tennis, but their past head-to-head indicates that both men know how to handle each other's games well.

Khachanov will step out looking to take control of the encounter. His power-packed game is well-suited to the quick Moscow courts and he is likely to win a few cheap points behind his serve as well.

For Millman, the key will be to stay in rallies long enough to extract errors from his opponent's racket. The Aussie is one of the quickest players around the court and if he can find a way to put a lot of balls back into play, he could frustrate the Russian.

Khachanov remains the favorite in this encounter but of the Russian isn't at his best, he could be heading towards another early exit.

Prediction: Karen Khachanov to win in two tight sets