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Match details
Fixture: Karen Khachanov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Date: 2 November 2020
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2020
Round: Round of 64 (First round)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €3,901,015
Match timing: Approx. 8 pm local time, 12.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv
Karen Khachanov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
Karen Khachanov faces off against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday.
Khachanov comes into the tournament on the back of a very eventful one month on tour. The Russian played some solid tennis at his home tournament in St. Petersburg before bowing out in the quarterfinal against Milos Raonic, and followed that up with a heated encounter in Antwerp.
The 24-year-old suffered a dramatic defeat at the hands of Dan Evans in the Antwerp second round, where the umpire made a series of erroneous line calls. To make things worse, Khachanov then lost in the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (to Grigor Dimitrov).
Although his confidence is low, Khachanov has won the Paris Masters in the past; that could be a big source of motivation to finish his season on a high note.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina meanwhile is one of the highly touted young players on tour at the moment. And the 21-year-old is showing considerable signs of improvement in various parts of his game.
Davidovich Fokina comes into the match on the back of a semifinal and a quarterfinal run respectively in the double-header of ATP events in Cologne last month. Moreover, he rounded out his qualifying matches in Paris without too many complications.
Karen Khachanov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
The first round encounter between Karen Khachanov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is the first on tour between the pair, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Karen Khachanov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Karen Khachanov comes into the match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as the undoubted favorite. But his motivation and confidence seem to have taken a considerable hit after his controversial loss in Antwerp, where he contested a wrong line call to the extent of shouting and kicking the chair-umpire's seat.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on the other hand seems to be in a rich vein of form, and would likely be able to take advantage of Khachanov's recent distractions. The young Spaniard likes playing on quick hardcourts where his clean groundstrokes, solid movement and deft drop shots make him a formidable force for any opponent.
Having won this tournament in 2018, Khachanov certainly has the tools to do well on indoor hardcourt. The Russian will look to take control of the rallies early with his massive forehand, but that's a task easier said than done given the form of his opponent.
Prediction: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to win in three sets.
