Halle Open 2021: Andrey Rublev vs. Karen Khachanov 6/15/21 Tennis Prediction

Fourth seeded Russian Andrey Rublev will face countryman Karen Khachanov in the First Round of the 2021 Halle Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Tuesday June 15th, 2021 at a time yet to be determined.

A blockbuster match is expected here in Halle as top 25 players Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov do battle in a highly anticipated First Round match. This match certainly has the feel of a late-round match and fans are certainly in for a treat to be able to see such a high-quality match so early. Who will get the win and advance to the Second Round here in Halle?

Andrey Rublev is ranked #7 in the world and is the fourth seed here at the 2021 Halle Open. He has announced himself on the world stage in a big way over the past few years and has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the rankings. He will be very eager to get off to a strong start here at the 2021 Halle Open after a disappointing French Open campaign, but has been drawn against a tough opponent in Karen Khachanov. Rublev has not had much success on grass but his attitude and booming groundstrokes make him a threat on any surface, and he is the slight favorite to advance here in Halle despite his relative inexperience on grass.

Karen Khachanov is ranked #25 in the ATP world rankings and is unseeded here at Halle, showing the high-quality of this field. The Russian was formerly ranked in the top 10 but has struggled greatly with form over the past few seasons with this year no exception. Despite his game not really suiting the surface, he has had some success on grass in his career, with a 17-10 win-loss record. He is the underdog here against countryman Andrey Rublev due to his struggles over the past three years, but with his vast experience should never be counted out.

This is a tough match to predict due to both players not being comfortable on this surface, so I am going to go with the higher ranked Andrey Rublev here. He has simply been outstanding over the past few years, while Khachanov’s form has been going in the opposite direction. I expect a tight match that may be error-filled as they begin to acclimatize to a new surface, but I am going with the better player to get the win, and that is Andrey Rublev. I expect him to win here and advance to the Second Round at the 2021 Halle Open