BNP Paribas Open: Hubert Hurkacz vs. Alexei Popyrin 10/09/21 Tennis Prediction

In form, Hubert Hurkacz, meets up and coming, Alexei Popyrin here in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, October 9th, 2021.

Will Alexei Popyrin get a good win under his belt for his confidence as he aims to show everyone that he is making steps towards getting to his best form which he showed earlier in the year, or will Hubert Hurkacz come out here and continue to dominate as he has done for most tournaments this year?

Alexei Popyrin showed great composure in his opening round match against the also up and coming, Miomir Kecmanovic, beating him in 2 sets 6-3/7-6. Alexei Popyrin started the year off very strongly, getting his maiden title under his belt in Singapore by beating Alexander Bublik. Alexei is good and can hit the ball very flat, allowing him to play well on hard court and indoor hard court conditions. However, he meets a huge server and big hitter in Hubert Hurkacz now.

Hubert Hurkacz will be very happy with his performances this year on the ATP Tour, making a statement that he is here to stay and he is edging ever closer to the top 10 where he knows he can compete day in and day out. Hurkacz has huge assets in his game for these hard court conditions, with a huge serve and forehand which allow him to win points quickly. Adding to this, he can also stay in long rallies and is not afraid to wear down opponents, making him very hard to beat all around.

Both players have never met each other before, and I expect an interesting encounter here. Although Alexei is an up and comer who has lots of potential, when you compare their 2021 seasons, Hubert is miles ahead, having won 3 titles along the way. Hubert knows that he has a great chance of making it into the top 10 this year, and he knows he can win the title here in Indian Wells, so he will give it his all and ensure he does not get any bumps which can hurt him too early in the road.