Madrid Open 2023: Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Fixture: (8) Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang

Date: Tuesday, May 2

Tournament: Madrid Open 2023

Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)

Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor clay

Prize money: €7,705,780

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

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Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang

Fritz is a win away from the quarterfinals.

Eighth seed Taylor Fritz takes on the unseeded Zhizhen Zhang on Tuesday for a place in the Madrid Masters quarterfinals.

Continuing his impressive improvement on clay, the tenth-ranked Fritz produced a sublime performance against Cristian Garin, firing 26 winners in his third-round clash. Bursting out of the blocks, the 25-year-old American dropped just one game in a lopsided opening set.

Garin offered sterner resistance in the second, but it was Fritz who served for the match at 5-4. However, Garin delighted the smattering of Chilean fans by converting his lone break point opportunity to get back on serve. His fightback proved short-lived, though, as Fritz reasserted his ascendancy in the ensuing tiebreak to improve to 27-8 on the season and 3-2 in Madrid.

Meanwhile, World No. 99 Zhang continued his fairy-tale run at the Caja Magica by stunning 11th seed Cameron Norrie in a third-set tiebreak. Earlier, the 26-year-old beat Jurij Rodionov and 21st seed Denis Shapovalov - also in a third-set tiebreak - to improve to 3-3 in 2023.

The Madrid debutant's campaign will get better still if he stuns Fritz in the fourth round for his first top-ten scalp.

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Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang head-to-head

The two players have never met before, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

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Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Taylor Fritz	-650	-1.5 (-210)	Over 21.5 (+110)
Zhizhen Zhang	+400	+1.5 (+145)	Under 21.5 (-155)

(All odds as per BETMGM)

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Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang prediction

Zhang is having a great run in Madrid.

Both Fritz and Zhang are quintessential baseliners, but the American takes the clear edge because of his aggressive gamestyle - big serves, powerful groundstrokes off either flank and good movement.

Fritz has been the epitome of consistency this season. He has reached at least the quarterfinals in all eight tournaments this year, winning at Delray Beach. Moreover, the experienced campaigner is having a great run on clay courts, winning seven of his nine matches across three tournaments.

Meanwhile, China's Zhang is a steady, if not spectacular, player, but he's buoyed by his dream run this week. Despite winning five of seven claycourt matches, he could fall short against Fritz.

Pick: Fritz in straight sets