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Match details
Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev
Date: 27 September 2020
Tournament: Hamburg European Open 2020
Round: Final
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP Masters 500
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €1,062,520
Match timing: 12 pm CEST, 3.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev preview
After a scintillating win over Norway's rising star Casper Ruud in the semifinals, Andrey Rublev will now battle second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Hamburg Open final on Sunday.
Rublev has been in excellent touch so far in Germany. He dropped a set against Tommy Paul in the Round of 16, but allowed his opponents a total of just 13 games in the quarterfinal and semifinal combined.
The Russian player knocked out fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals, breaking his serve six times. Rublev himself had an impressive 62% win record on his second serve.
His performance only got better in the subsequent clash with Ruud, as Rublev fired four aces and won 30 points on return. The Russian had a 70% win record on his first serve, which helped him get out of trouble multiple times.
ATP Finals 2019 champion Stefanos Tsitsipas has also put in an impressive performance at the Hamburg Open so far, even though he was stretched to three sets by Cristian Garin in the semis. Garin broke Tsitsipas' serve thrice in the match on Saturday, but the Greek played the big points brilliantly to get past the finish line.
Considering Rublev's current form, Tsitsipas might have to up his game even more if he hopes to win the final. It is pertinent to note that Rublev and Tsitsipas have the most wins on the ATP Tour in 2020 after Novak Djokovic; the Russian has a win-loss record of 24-6, which is slightly better than his upcoming opponent's record of 22-8.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev head-to-head
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev are tied 1-1 in the head-to-head rivalry.
The two players met at last year's US Open, where Rublev won in four sets. Before that, Tsitsipas had beaten Rublev in the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals.
The upcoming match will be their first meeting on a clay court.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev prediction
Although Stefanos Tsitsipas has a higher ranking, some believe Andrey Rublev is the favorite. The Russian's forehand has left his opponents completely clueless, whereas Tsitsipas struggled with his own forehand at times against Garin.
Moreover, Tsitsipas has a less than stellar record in tournament finals. He has made it to the summit clash of two ATP Masters 1000 and four ATP 500 events, losing all six of those matches.
If Rublev can read Tsistipas' serve well and start a majority of the points from a neutral position, his forehand might end up doing too much damage for Tsitsipas to withstand.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in three sets.
