Rotterdam 2023: Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | ABN AMRO Open

Match Details

Fixture: (6) Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Date: February 13, 2023

Tournament: ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament - Rotterdam Open 2023

Venue: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam

Round: First Round (Round of 32)

Category: ATP 500

Surface: Indoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $2,220,238

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

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2023 Adelaide International 2

Former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the 2023 Rotterdam Open on Monday (February 13).

Medvedev kicked off his season by taking part in the Adelaide International 1 in the lead-up to the Australian Open. He battled Lorenzo Sonego, Miomir Kecmanovic and compatriot Karen Khachanov in straight sets on his way to the semifinals of the tournament.

The Russian was up against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals but failed to convert any of his break points and lost the match in straight sets.

Medvedev had reached the finals of the Australian Open two years in a row prior to the 2023 edition of the Grand Slam. The Russian made a confident start to the tournament with straight-set victories over Marcos Giron and John Millman in the opening rounds.

Despite his lackluster season after his loss against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Australian Open final, Medvedev was one of the top picks to win the title. However, he faltered in his third-round match against Sebastian Korda and was ousted from the tournament.

Medvedev's serve was broken early in each set, putting him on the back foot right from the get-go. Korda employed a strategy to force Medvedev to come up to the net, which worked well in his favor as he won 36 of the 48 net points.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had a similarly disappointing start to the season. He participated in the Adelaide International 2 where he won his matches against Brandon Nakashima and John Millman before falling to fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

At the 2023 Australian Open, Fokina prevailed against Alexander Bublik in a tense five-set encounter in the first round. He then faced eventual semi-finalist Tommy Paul in the second round. The match was a similarly close five-set encounter with the American coming out on top.

Fokina competed at the Open Sud de France where he won his first-round match against Ugo Humbert before losing to Quentin Halys in the subsequent round.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head

Medvedev leads Fokina 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2021 Madrid Open in straight sets.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over and Under)
Daniil Medvedev	-667	-4.5 (-154)	Over 20.5 (-105)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina	+425	+4.5 (+110)	Under 20.5 (-133)

(All odds are sourced from BETMGM.)

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction

Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 Australian Open

Fokina has a very aggressive playing style which sometimes causes his level to fluctuate over the course of a match. He is very athletic and uses his precise drop shots to great success. Fokina's groundstrokes are very powerful and he excels at creating sharp angles on his return.

Despite Medvedev's recent woes in the latter part of tournaments, he has been consistent in routing his opponents in the early rounds. Medvedev's defensive playing style should neutralize the effectiveness of Fokina's forehand. His exceptional court coverage and deep return position will serve him well against Fokina's quick movement.

The Spaniard has had a very inconsistent season. He has been unable to string wins together and has faltered when up against higher-ranked opposition. Medvedev should be able to win this encounter with ease.

Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.