Antwerp Open: Karen Khachanov vs. Zizou Bergs 10/22/20 Tennis Prediction

Karen Khachanov meets Zizou Bergs in the second round of the 2020 Antwerp Open on Thursday, October 22nd 2020. Will Zizou Bergs be able to cause another shocking upset here in Antwerp, or will Khachanov show him who’s the best player in this match?

Zizou Bergs put on an absolute show on Tuesday, beating Albert Ramos Vinolas in the first round beating the Spaniard 7-5/7-5. No one gave Bergs the light of day coming into that match and he proved everyone wrong. Bergs is ranked 528th in the world and was able to put on an incredible performance, one worthy of a second round encounter here. Bergs has tremendous talent and he will want to show everyone that he is not just a one-day player who cannot back his performance up. However, Bergs now comes up against Karen Khachanov who is one of the toughest players in the tournament to beat, can he do it again?

Karen Khachanov reached the quarterfinals of the St. Petersburg Open last week and lost to Milos Raonic in a very tight encounter. However, Khachanov nows that this is a new tournament and that he can challenge for the title here if he plays his best tennis. Khachanov will be quite content with his first match here as he knows he is much better then Bergs, however, he needs to be careful not to underestimate his opponent as we have seen players do many times and then lose. Khachanov needs to ensure he maintains his focus here.

This is going to be the first meeting between both players and it could become a tight one. Bergs has nothing to lose here and he is playing at home, whilst Khachanov will now he cannot afford to play passively. I think Bergs can extend the rallies and make life rough for Khachanov, however, at the end of the day, Khachanov will come out on top. Bergs beat Albert Ramos Vinolas who is nowhere near his best anymore, and Khachanov has improved since the restart of the tour. Khachanov knows he can win the title here playing his best tennis, and he should come through this match to make it to the quarterfinals.