ATP Cup 2020: Taylor Fritz vs Karen Khachanov, Match Preview and Prediction

Looking to rebound from their unexpected loss against lowly Norway, USA will step out against table-toppers Russia with nothing short of a sweep on their mind in ATP Cup 2020.

The opening rubber will feature American Taylor Fritz take on Russia's Karen Khachanov. Both men will be looking to get their team the early lead before the main attraction featuring Daniil Medvedev and John Isner.

Both Fritz and Khachanov won their opening encounters convincingly but that is not where the similarities end. The two have a very similar style of play centered around aggressive baseline hitting.

Both Karen Khachanov (L) and Daniil Medvedev are undefeated in the tournament so far.

That was on display in their respective matches on Day 1 and we can expect more of the same in this contest.

While Khachanov is capable of pushing his opponents onto the back foot using his topspin-heavy groundstrokes, he is quite vulnerable in defence and that's one area Fritz will be looking to take advantage of.

If Khachanov is not aggressive enough from the get-go, he could find himself chasing the ball quite often and that is not a recipe for success. Taking the initiative early on in rallies will be the key in this battle.

Karen Khachanov had to dig deep in his opening match against Stefano Travaglia

The American has a lot more at stake in this contest and that could prove to be the difference at the end.

Prediction: Fritz to win in two sets.

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