Roland Garros 2021: Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (3) Daniil Medvedev vs (22) Cristian Garin

Date: 6 June 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red Clay

Prize Money: €17,171,108

Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 1 pm GMT, 9 am EST, 6.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin preview

Second seed Daniil Medvedev will be looking to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time in his career when he takes on 22nd-seeded Cristian Garin in the fourth round on Sunday.

Medvedev opened his campaign by beating Alexander Bublik in straight sets, thereby snapping a four-match losing streak at Roland Garros. The Russian then came from a set down to beat Tommy Paul in the second round, before catching fire against the big-serving Reilly Opelka in the third round on Friday.

Reilly Opelka (L) and Daniil Medvedev shake hands

It was a ruthless performance from Medvedev on return, as he won 38% of the points on Opelka's first serve and 54% on his second. The Russian has made significant improvements to his game on clay this year, and could be on course for a deep run in Paris.

It is also pertinent to note that if Daniil Medvedev reaches the final in Paris, he will replace Novak Djokovic as the new World No. 1 - provided the Serb loses before the final.

Cristian Garin, meanwhile, has won five ATP titles on clay in his career and has a good aptitude for playing on the dirt. The Chilean has produced his best ever showing at a Major this week, reaching the fourth round after beating Juan Ignacio Londero, Mackenzie McDonald and Marcos Giron.

Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin head-to-head

Daniil Medvedev and Cristian Garin are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings.

While Medvedev beat Garin in their first match at the 2019 Canada Masters, it was the Chilean who won their rematch earlier this year at the Madrid Masters. After that match in the Spanish capital, Medvedev famously remarked that beating him on clay wasn't a giant headline.

Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin prediction

Daniil Medvedev found himself in a hole during the early stages of his 2021 claycourt season, accumulating a poor 1-3 win-loss record. But the Russian's troubles seemed to have gone away in Paris.

Medvedev has always boasted of brilliant defense, but his wins this week have featured a lot of aggressive tennis too. The 25-year-old has been dominant with his inside-out forehand lately, and has consistently dominated his opponents from the baseline with his deep groundstrokes.

Cristian Garin

Cristian Garin, meanwhile, doesn't have as much sting in his groundstrokes as Medvedev does. However, the Chilean's ability to hit close to the lines and change direction at a moment's notice helps him stay on top of a majority of the exchanges on clay.

Although Garin has been impressive in Paris so far, it should be noted that his three opponents have been fairly low-ranked. Against a big-match player like Medvedev, the weaknesses in Garin's game - mainly lack of power and inability to finish points efficiently - could very well be magnified.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in four tight sets.

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