Match detailsFixture: [1] Daniil Medvedev vs James DuckworthDate: 12 August 2021Tournament: 2021 National Bank OpenRound: Third round (Round of 16)Venue: Aviva Centre, Toronto, OntarioCategory: ATP Masters 1000Surface: Outdoor hardcourtPrize money: $2,850,975Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime VideoDaniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth previewTop seed Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with Aussie James Duckworth in the third round of the 2021 National Bank Open on Thursday.While Medvedev accounted for Alexander Bublik in his second-round match on Tuesday, Duckworth ousted the newly-crowned Citi Open champion, Jannik Sinner, on Wednesday.Medvedev, the 2019 runner-up, fought back from a set down to beat Bublik 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Both players dominated on their first serves as expected, but the Kazakh's inferior second delivery allowed Medvedev to make inroads.An altercation with chair umpire Aurelie Tourte in the third set did briefly impact the Russian, but he soon found his bearings and sealed his fourth win over Bublik.'This is gonna be on Tennis TV, bro!'You're not wrong, @DaniilMedwed 😂#NBO21 pic.twitter.com/imVXaqI4ec— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 10, 2021With the ranking system recently revised by the ATP, Medvedev is defending 600 points from his run in 2019 when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal.As such, the Russian will be eager to make a deep run in Toronto this year to protect his ranking and ensure a top-two seeding at the US Open.James Duckworth, meanwhile, is making his main draw debut in the Canadian Open this year after having fallen short in the qualifying rounds on three occasions in the past.He is now on a four-match winning streak in Toronto, having beaten Peter Polansky and Illya Marchenko in the qualifying rounds before upsetting Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner in the main draw without dropping a set.That said, Sinner was visibly fatigued in their second-round match and the Australian did not have to do much to advance. However, the 29-year-old will take plenty of confidence from the fact that he also beat the big-serving Fritz on hardcourt.Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth head-to-headDaniil Medvedev and James Duckworth have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their head-to-head stands at 0-0.Daniil Medvedev vs James Duckworth predictionJames DuckworthJames Duckworth likes to play an aggressive brand of tennis but he often struggles to outhit opponents from the baseline. The Aussie gets plenty of depth on his groundstrokes, which forces opponents back behind the baseline.Duckworth also likes charging into the net, but he will have to time his forays forward to perfection against Medvedev, who has the ability to hit passing winners from any part of the court.All things considered, Duckworth does not have enough in his arsenal to go toe-to-toe with the Russian over three sets. His serve, while impressive, is unlikely to earn too many free points against Medvedev, which could be the difference in the end.Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.Progress: James Duckworth lost his first 15 matches against the ATP's Top-20 👀Today at #NBO21 @JamesDuck21 wins his second straight, defeating Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 👏 pic.twitter.com/t4n4smLSzH— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 11, 2021