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

Match details

Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Marcos Giron

Date: 24 August 2020

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Round: Round of 32

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 Marcos Giron preview

Defending champion and third seed Daniil Medvedev will get his campaign at the 2020 Western & Southern Open underway with a second round match against qualifier Marcos Giron.

The Russian had a stellar start to the year at the ATP Cup, but was upset at the Australian Open by old warhorse Stan Wawrinka. He will be looking for a good result these next few weeks as he has a lot of precious ranking points to defend.

Medvedev's opponent in the second round, Marcos Giron, is not going to make things easy for him though. Returning from a few tough injuries, the American has shown enough in his game over the last two years to have the big names worried.

Marcos Giron is on a comeback trail following back-to-back injuries

Giron had back-to-back hip surgeries during the mid-2010s, which derailed a promising career. He made a solid return in 2018, but despite having scored wins over Juan Martin del Potro and Alex de Minaur, he has struggled for consistency.

This week has brought in some good results for the 27-year-old. Giron had a good run at the qualifiers, following which he registered a solid win over compatriot Mackenzie McDonald in the first round.

The American has grown in confidence lately, and that added with his extra match practice could prove dangerous for his opponents.

Giron is also very excited for today's matchup, and he mentioned having done some research ahead of his match against Medvedev. It goes without saying that the Russian will have to be at the top of his game from the get go.

Daniil Medvedev vs Marcos Giron head-to-head

Daniil Medvedev has a lot of ranking points to defend in the US open series.

The two men have never crossed paths on tour before, but their level of experience is vastly mismatched.

Medvedev will enter the contest as a firm favorite, but he needs to be prepared for the surprise element in the American's game. He will also have very little time to find the range on his shots, and his opponent will look to take advantage of the rusty play.

Daniil Medvedev vs Marcos Giron prediction

The match-up throws a real possibility of another big upset, the kind that has dominated the first two days of the tournament. Marcos Giron definitely has the game for it, but the questions will really be asked of Daniil Medvedev.

If the Russian can find his stride early in the match, he should have enough to outlast his spirited opponent.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.