Astana Open 2022: Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

By Rohit

Modified Oct 03, 2022 10:25 GMT

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (LL) David Goffin.

Date: October 4, 2022

Tournament: Astana Open 2022.

Round: First round (Round of 32).

Venue: Astana, Kazakhstan.

Category: ATP 500.

Surface: Indoor hardcourt.

Prize money: $1,900,000.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports.

Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin preview

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will square off against lucky loser David Goffin in the first round of the 2022 Astana Open on Tuesday.

Alcaraz has quickly ascended to the top of the men's game with his remarkable results this season. Following a third-round loss at the Australian Open, he won his first title of the year at the Rio Open. He lost a closely contested semifinal against Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells, but went on to win the Miami Open soon after.

The teenager made an early exit from the Monte-Carlo Masters, but bounced back by winning titles in Barcelona and Madrid. In the latter, he even defeated Nadal and Novak Djokovic en route to the title. At the French Open, he lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and at Wimbledon he made it to the fourth round.

Alcaraz then reached consecutive finals in Hamburg and Umag, but lost to Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner. In the lead-up to the US Open, he crashed out in the second round of the Canadian Open, but advanced to the last eight at the Western & Southern Open.

The Spaniard then went on to claim his maiden Grand Slam title in the season's final Major, defeating Casper Ruud in the final. He also ascended to the top of the rankings. Alcaraz then competed in the Davis Cup, but lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in his first match as World No. 1, but managed to win his next encounter against Kwon Soon-woo.

David Goffin has had a decent season, winning the title in Morocco and reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. However, since his last-eight finish at the All England Club, he has lost in the first round of every ATP tournament he has competed in.

In between, the Belgian did play in the Davis Cup as well, where he won a couple of matches. At the Astana Open, Goffin was relegated to participating in the qualifiers. He defeated Denis Yevseyev, but lost an incredibly close match against Luca Nardi in three sets. However, following Holger Rune's withdrawal, he made it to the main draw as the lucky loser.

Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin head-to-head

Alcaraz leads Goffin 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2021 Great Ocean Road Open in straight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Carlos Alcaraz	-750	+1.5 (-2500)	Over 20.5 (-105)
David Goffin	+475	-1.5 (+775)	Under 20.5 (-135)

(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin prediction

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Goffin faces an uphill battle against Alcaraz given his recent form. The Belgian's a solid baseliner, but that won't be enough to get him over the line in this match-up. The teenager is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with him.

Aside from that, Alcaraz has a more well-rounded game than Goffin. While his serve might be a little inconsistent, the Spaniard's court coverage and movement are second to none. He's great at playing first-strike tennis and can raise his level when put on the backfoot.

It has been a while since Goffin earned a main draw win on the ATP tour and facing an in-form player like Alcaraz isn't going to be easy. The teenager should make it safely to the next round, or it'll easily go down as the upset of the year.

Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.