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Match details
Fixture: (3) Alexander Zverev vs Guido Pella
Date: 19 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 Western & Southern Open
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Cincinnati, Ohio
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $3,028,140
Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 7 pm GMT, 12.30 am IST (Friday)
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Alexander Zverev vs Guido Pella preview
Alexander Zverev registered his first-ever win at the Cincinnati Masters in seven attempts when he beat Lloyd Harris in the second round on Wednesday. Zverev won 7-6(3), 6-2 to book his spot in the third round, where he will face Guido Pella.
Zverev and Harris went toe-to-toe for large parts of the first set. In fact, both players won almost all of their service points in the first eight games. But the German upped the ante in the tiebreak, dropping just three points.
There was no looking back for the Olympic champion from there as he coasted home in the second set.
Zverev fired 11 aces past the South African and won a whopping 82% of his service points. He did not face a break point throughout the match but managed to break Harris' serve twice. With the win, Zverev snapped his six-match losing streak at the Cincinnati Masters.
Meanwhile, Guido Pella registered a 6-1, 7-5 win over Fabio Fognini in his second-round clash on Wednesday. Pella had beaten David Goffin 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.
This is the first time the Argentine has registered back-to-back victories on tour since the 2020 Australian Open. During this period, Pella has played a whopping 20 tournaments, failing to make a mark in any of them.
Alexander Zverev vs Guido Pella head-to-head
Alexander Zverev leads Guido Pella 1-0 in the head-to-head. Zverev and Pella faced each other on the claycourts of Munich in 2017, with the German winning in straight sets.
Alexander Zverev vs Guido Pella prediction
Guido Pella's lefty serve is generally a weapon against right-handers, but that will not be the case against Alexander Zverev, who has an exceptional backhand.
This is far from an ideal match-up for Pella. He will have to target the German's forehand and hope it breaks down, but that is easier said than done because of the improvements Zverev has made in recent months.
The German is also an expert at changing direction and should have no trouble opening up the court with his backhand. Add to that the German's monstrous serve, which has been near flawless in recent weeks, and it is difficult to see Pella getting anything out of this fixture.
Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in straight sets.
