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Match details
Fixture: (5) Andrey Rublev vs Federico Delbonis
Date: 28 June 2021
Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: London, Great Britain
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £17,066,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Andrey Rublev vs Federico Delbonis preview
Russia's Andrey Rublev comes into Wimbledon 2021 perched at No. 7 in the ATP singles rankings, his career-best position. That makes him the fifth seed at the Championships, since Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem have pulled out.
Rublev had a good run in Halle last week, where he made the final. That was his third final of the year, after his title-winning campaign in Rotterdam and runner-up finish in Monte Carlo.
The 23-year-old also won the ATP Cup with Russia earlier in the season, where he beat Italy's Fabio Fognini in the final. Rublev will be keen to go deep in Wimbledon this time around, especially since it is the only Major where he has never reached the quarterfinals.
The Russian has made two appearances in the main draw at SW19 previously, getting ousted in the second round on both occasions. However, his superior ranking and form this year give him a real chance of producing a career-best result at Wimbledon over the next fortnight.
Argentina's Federico Delbonis, meanwhile, comes into Wimbledon on the back of a strong performance at Roland Garros, where he made the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. That said, clay is by far the best surface for the World No. 48; he has won two ATP singles titles on the surface.
Delbonis doesn't have a great record on grass, having never made a final on the surface at any level. He has qualified for the main draw at Wimbledon five times in his career, and has been knocked out in the first round on each ocassion.
Andrey Rublev vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head
Andrey Rublev and Federico Delbonis have not faced off on tour before, so their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Andrey Rublev vs Federico Delbonis prediction
Andrey Rublev is a complete and powerful player. He has one of the best forehands on tour, and also a big first serve along with a consistent and reliable backhand.
However, the 23-year-old has struggled with his second serve of late, most recently in the final against Ugo Humbert in Halle. Rublev won 57% of his second-serve points in that match, which is just about an average number on grass.
Federico Delbonis, on his part, is also a strong player from the back of the court. He doesn't make too many unforced errors, and can use his deep groundstrokes to extract mistakes from his opponents.
On grass, however, the Argentine might be rushed for time by a powerful striker like Rublev. The Russian is also a better big-stage player than his opponent, and should be expected to sail through to the second round without much trouble.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in straight sets.
