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Match details
Fixture: (7) Andrey Rublev vs Lorenzo Sonego
Date: 15 May 2021*
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,082,960
Match timing: 11 am local time, 9 am GMT, 5 am EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
*Note: This match was initially scheduled for 14 May, but a rain interruption has caused it to be postponed to 15 May.
Andrey Rublev vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Andrey Rublev notched up a straight-sets win over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut on Thursday to book his spot in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Italian Open.
Rublev, who was tested in the opening round against Jan-Lennard Struff, looked much more comfortable in the match against Buatista Agut. He will now be keen to carry the momentum further into the tournament.
Awaiting Rublev in the last eight clash is home favorite Lorenzo Sonego, who pulled off a huge upset by taking out Dominic Thiem in a three-set thriller late on Thursday night.
Sonego's win over Thiem wasn't entirely surprising, given that he has been playing solid tennis for quite some time now. The 26-year-old had a strong finish to 2020; not only did he reach a first ATP 500 final in Vienna, but he also scored his first top 10 win (over Novak Djokovic).
Sonego has also raked in a few promising results on the red dirt this year, including a title run in Cagliari. Needless to say, the Italian will be feeling good about his game right now.
Andrey Rublev vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
Andrey Rublev leads Lorenzo Sonego in their current head-to-head with a slender 1-0 margin. The Russian had beaten his opponent in the final of the Vienna Open last year, taking a comfortable straight-sets win on that occasion.
Andrey Rublev vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Given his form in recent months and past record against his opponent, Andrey Rublev should enter this contest as the firm favorite. That said, Lorenzo Sonego has been in good touch himself, and could well ask a few questions of the seventh seed.
The Italian made good use of his strengths - a heavy forehand and incredible foot speed - to keep Thiem from feeling comfortable on the court during their third-round encounter on Thursday. He also showcased incredible fighting skills to oust his higher-ranked opponent in the deciding0set tiebreaker.
Against Rublev, however, Sonego faces an even bigger obstacle. Unlike Thiem - who is still trying to rediscover his lost form - the Russian has looked sharp throughout the season so far.
Rublev did drop his opening set against Struff in the first round, but has been much cleaner since. Sonego - who will have very little time to recover from his marathon match against Thiem - might be able to stay competitive for a set or two. But Rublev's power-packed game could eventually prove to be too much to handle for him on Friday.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in three sets.
