Ninth seeded Hubert Hurkacz will face Andy Murray in the Second Round of the 2021 Cincinnati Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Wednesday August 18th, 2021.
An interesting match is expected here at the 2021 Cincinnati Open as Hubert Hurkacz faces British legend and former world number one Andy Murray for a spot in the Round of 16. Both men had difficult First Round matches but were able to pull through. They both know that they will have to be much improved if they are to go on a deep run, who will get the win and advance here?
Hubert Hurkacz is the ninth seed here at the Cincinnati Open and is currently ranked #13 on the ATP Tour. The Polish #1 has been having a breakthrough season in 2021, winning his first Masters-1000 title in Miami and reaching the Semi-Finals at Wimbledon. The big serving Hurkacz enjoys playing on the quicker hard courts like these and started strongly here in Cincinnati, overcoming a tough challenge from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three tight sets. That was a difficult First Round match to be drawn with, so he will be pleased with that win and will have gained a lot of confidence from it. He enters this match against Andy Murray as the favorite but knows that he will have to be at his best against the former world number one.
Andy Murray is unseeded here at the Cincinnati Open and is currently ranked at a lowly #118 on the ATP Tour after a long struggle with injuries. He is still working his way back into form but has been much improved over the past few months and it is a pleasure to see him back competing on the Tour after it seemed like his career was over. Like his opponent Hubert Hurkacz he was handed a tough First Round opponent but was able to overcome a strong challenge from Richard Gasquet, impressively winning 6-4, 6-4 to set up this Second Round clash. While he is the underdog here against Hurkacz he should not be discounted due to his immense experience and he surely is capable of making this interesting if he plays well.
This has the potential to be a very close match, but I am giving the edge to Hubert Hurkacz. He is simply the better player at this stage in their careers, and should be able to withstand the challenge from his opponent Andy Murray. However, he is prone to lose focus at times, and Murray will definitely make him pay if that happens. Murray definitely can make this interesting, but I think it is unlikely that he will be able to sustain a high enough level for long enough for get the win here. It could be a close one, but expect Hubert Hurkacz to get the win, advancing to the Round of 16 here at the Cincinnati Open.