Cincinnati 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Aljaz Bedene preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Aljaz Bedene

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: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST

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

Daniil Medvedev vs Aljaz Bedene preview

Daniil Medvedev has made a strong start to his US Open Series campaign in New York. The third seed registered a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over American qualifier Marcos Giron in his opening match on Monday, kicking off his defense of the Western & Southern Open title in fine fashion.

Medvedev has no ranking points to gain or lose this week, courtesy ATP's interim ranking system that's been put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Russian won the tournament last year and hence cannot better that result to gain any points this week. Moreover, he is also protected against losing any points if he fails to match his 2019 result.

Nevertheless, the defending champion would love to win the tournament for a second year in a row and make a statement ahead of the US Open which starts next week.

Medvedev will now face another qualifier in Aljaz Bedene as he looks to set up a quarterfinal clash against either compatriot Karen Khachanov or Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

Aljaz Bedene is on his best run in a Masters 1000

Aljaz Bedene meanwhile stunned the big-serving Taylor Fritz 7-6, 7-5 on Monday to reach the Round of 16 at a Masters for just the second time in his career. The Slovenian, who formerly represented Great Britain between 2015 and 2017, has already exceeded the expectations in what is his first main draw appearance at this tournament.

Bedene will be looking to extend his stay by causing another, even bigger upset over Daniil Medvedev in the third round.

Daniil Medvedev vs Aljaz Bedene head-to-head

Daniil Medvedev has never faced Aljaz Bedene before.

Their Round of 16 match in New York will be the first meeting between Daniil Medvedev and Aljaz Bedene. As such, the head-to-head between the two currently stands at 0-0.

Daniil Medvedev vs Aljaz Bedene prediction

World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will enter the contest as the firm favorite, but he needs to be wary of a possible upset and not take his opponent for granted.

Like Medvedev, Bedene also likes to deploy a patient game from the back of the court. Rather than rushing for winners or playing first-strike tennis, the Slovenian is content to bide his time and exchange groundstrokes; he only injects pace when he gets a clear opening.

But this kind of strategy might not be enough to overcome the human wall that is Daniil Medvedev. The Russian has one of the flattest forehands on tour and often looks to run his opponents ragged by giving them no pace whatsoever. He is an expert at redirecting the ball and extracts a lot of unforced errors, to accompany his occasional backhand winners and huge serves.

The match will likely see a lot of long rallies and could potentially be a long watch on the clock, although the scoreline might not necessarily reflect that.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.