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Match details
Fixture: Karen Khachanov vs Andrey Kuznetsov
Date: 3 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Karen Khachanov vs Andrey Kuznetsov preview
11th seed Karen Khachanov survived a brutal onslaught in the opening round against Jannik Sinner before scraping through in five sets. The Russian trailed by two sets to love at one point and was, to an extent, fortunate to reach the second round as Sinner suffered an injury in the third set.
Khachanov will now face another player who has seen a decent bit of good fortune lately - Andrey Kuznetsov.
The older Russian had been struggling with a chronic hip problem for a long time, which forced him out of the sport in 2017. However, his hip issue has seemingly become less severe this year and he has decided to make a comeback.
Kuznetsov marked his return to the ATP tour with an emphatic victory over the highly rated Sam Querrey, winning in straight sets (6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-2). In doing so he became the first man in over a decade to win a Grand Slam match while being unranked.
The Russian too received a medical time-out for a shoulder issue and he’ll be hoping that it won’t affect him for his match against Kuznetsov on Thursday.
Karen Khachanov vs Andrey Kuznetsov head-to-head
Karen Khachanov leads Andrey Kuznetsov 1-0 in the head-to-head. Their only meeting came at Wimbledon 2017, with Khachanov triumphing in five sets 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
Karen Khachanov vs Andrey Kuznetsov prediction
The battle of the Russian forehands will be a treat to watch for the fans. Kuznetsov in particular has worked on this shot during his time away from tennis, and it is at a much improved level now.
Khachanov’s whip-like forehand is a force of nature too when on song. That said, it is also his more error-prone wing, which was heavily exploited by Sinner; the Italian forced 28 errors off that wing from Khachanov. The Russian himself committed another 14 forehand unforced errors of his own accord.
The serves of both players will be key, and that is where Kuznetsov holds the edge given his more accurate first delivery. But Khachanov can make his compatriot pay on his weaker second serve, and Kuznetsov would need to be wary of that threat.
Prediction: Andrey Kuznetsov to win in five sets.
