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Match details
Fixture: (1) Alexander Bublik vs (8) Kevin Anderson
Date: 17 July 2021
Tournament: Hall of Fame Open 2021
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Newport, United States
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $466,870
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Alexander Bublik vs Kevin Anderson preview
A battle of the big servers will see Alexander Bublik and Kevin Anderson lock horns in the semifinals of the 2021 Hall of Fame Open on Saturday.
Bublik, seeded first in Newport, had to overcome a stern challenge from Ivo Karlovic in the second round before prevailing 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1.
Bublik racked up 22 aces against the Croat and won 83% of his first-serve points. He was extremely consistent on his delivery as he conceded just two break points, out of which he saved one.
The 24-year-old then made short work of Jason Jung in his quarterfinal match on Thursday. The Kazakh won 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour to make it into the last four of a tournament for the third time this season (Antalya and Singapore).
Bublik struck 14 aces against Jung and won 85% of his first-serve points. The Kazakh, however, will be most pleased with the fact that he conceded only one break point, which he ended up saving.
Kevin Anderson, meanwhile, rallied from a set down against Jack Sock in the quarterfinals to win 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.
Anderson had previously recorded straight-set victories over Sebastian Ofner and Ilya Marchenko. The big-serving Protean has racked up a mammoth 54 aces in three matches thus far.
Anderson's success rate on first serve is a staggering 87.6%. He was particularly destructive on serve against Ofner, registering a 97% win rate on his first delivery. Like Bublik, the former Wimbledon runner-up has been broken only once in this tournament so far.
Alexander Bublik vs Kevin Anderson head-to-head
Alexander Bublik and Kevin Anderson will be meeting for the first time on tour, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Alexander Bublik vs Kevin Anderson prediction
This match promises to be an ace-fest given how strong Bublik and Anderson's first serves are. While the Protean ranks seventh on the all-time ace leaderboard, Bublik leads the field in 2021 with 517 aces to his name in 41 matches (before Newport).
Both players will earn plenty of free points on first serve, which means the second serve will likely prove to be the differentiating factor in the match. Bublik has quite an erratic second serve; he has racked up 16 double faults in two matches thus far.
Kevin Anderson, on the other hand, has coughed up only eight double faults in three matches.
This match will ultimately pit Anderson's pedigree and experience against Bublik's superior conditioning. Even though the Kazakh is the favorite, the Protean's mental strength could help him cause an upset.
Prediction: Kevin Anderson to win in three sets.
