Cincinnati 2020: Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic

Date: 25 August 2020

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Round: Round of 16

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $4,674,780

Match timing: 5 pm EDT, 2.30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2

Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic preview

Milos Raonic at the 2020 Australian Open

Andy Murray will look to continue his impressive comeback as he takes on Milos Raonic in the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters in New York on Tuesday.

Murray looked in good touch against Alexander Zverev yesterday, registering a narrow 6-3 3-6 7-5 win to reach a Masters third round for the first time since Madrid 2017. That said, he did have plenty of help from the German, who made costly unforced errors at several crucial moments in the match.

Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had also looked impressive in his first round victory over Frances Tiafoe. That match required a deciding set and lasted more than two hours - which was a good test of the Scot's fitness given that it was his first appearance on the professional tour since bowing out of the Davis Cup 2019 finals due to injury.

Murray's opponent is familiar foe Milos Raonic, who comes into the matchup in fine form himself. The World No. 30 has won his first two matches at the Western & Southern Open in straight sets, against Sam Querrey and Dan Evans respectively.

Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic head-to-head

Andy Murray (L) and Milos Raonic at Wimbledon 2016

The meeting at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday marks the 13th between the two players. Andy Murray currently leads the head-to-head 9-3 over Milos Raonic.

The pair met a whopping six times in 2016 itself, with Murray prevailing every single time. After outlasting Raonic in an epic semifinal encounter at the Australian Open, Murray notched up wins in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, the Queens and Wimbledon finals, and the Cincinnati Masters semifinals.

The Brit then went on to narrowly edge Raonic in the semifinals of the year-ending ATP Finals, triumphing 5-7 7-6 7-6.

The Canadian's first win over Murray came at the Barcelona Open in 2012. He also defeated the 33-year-old at the Tokyo Open in the same year, before registering a come-from-behind win at Indian Wells in 2014.

Murray, the dominant player out of the two, has won three other big event matches between the pair too - at the 2012 US Open, the 2014 ATP Finals and the 2015 Madrid Masters.

Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic prediction

Andy Murray at the 2020 Western & Southern Open

Despite the difference in titles and their previous history, Milos Raonic comes into the match as a favorite on paper given his blistering form and Murray's recent injury problems.

The Scot has played two long matches on the trot, and could possibly be feeling the effects on his troublesome hip. However, he has proven in the past that he can recover from physically-draining matches in no time, and his defensive game has been extremely solid during his two matches in New York.

Murray's biggest challenge will be to counter Raonic's incredible serve. The Canadian has belted 42 aces in two matches and won 87% of his first serve points, so the Scot will have to be sharp with his returning right from the outset.

Prediciton: Andy Murray to win in three sets.