The 2020 ATP Cup will see few of the matches played on its opening day as David Goffin takes on Radu Albot & Daniel Evans will be up against Grigor Dimitrov among others. Get the David Goffin v Radu Albot & Daniel Evans v Grigor Dimitrov tips and predictions for day one of the ATP Cup 2020.
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David Goffin v Radu Albot Predictions & Preview
Spearheading the challenges of Belgium and Romania respectively, David Goffin and Radu Albot meet on the opening day of the ATP Cup. This will be the fourth meeting between the two players, with Goffin leading the head-to-head 3-0. Incidentally, the players have met on the hard courts, clay and grass, with all the matches going to a deciding final set.
Ranked as high as number seven in the world in 2017, it has been a roller coaster journey for the Belgian who has dealt with injuries, followed by indifferent form and early losses. The second half of 2019 witnessed a strong comeback by Goffin, with a finals showing at both the ATP 500 at Halle, as well as the finals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati.
Ending the year ranked number 11 in the world, the Belgian number one will be looking for a strong showing and fitness maintenance in 2020, that will assist him in being a challenger on an increasingly competitive circuit.
The Moldovian number one Radu Albot has had a consistent last season and a half, resulting in him being a consistent top 40-50 player in the world, with the highlight being his first ever ATP singles title winning the Delray Beach Open last February. Albot also displayed his abilities, by challenging higher ranked players consistently, none more than Roger Federer at the Miami Open, with the Swiss winning a close three setter.
Both Moldova and Belgium will be relying heavily on Goffin and Albot. While the start to a new season depends on many factors, Goffin will be looking to pick up from where he left off in 2019, and drive home the advantage of being the marginal favorite in this match-up.
Expect a tight contest with the Belgian winning in two tight sets.
Tip: Goffin to win: 10/11 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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Daniel Evans v Grigor Dimitrov Predictions & Preview
Daniel Evans and Grigor Dimitrov meet for the fourth time in their careers, with both looking to get the advantage in a crucial contest between Britain and Bulgaria.
The players have met three times in their careers, in 2011, 2016 and 2019, with Dimitrov leading the head-to-head 2-1. Given the intervals in their meetings, their most recent meeting in 2019 remains the most relevant, with Dimitrov winning in straight sets at the Chengdu Open.
Both Dimitrov and Evans have seen ups and downs in their careers in recent times, especially Dimitrov. The Bulgarian who ended 2017 winning the Tour Finals and ranked number three in the world , had a tumultuous end of 2018, which continued into 2019 which saw him drop outside of the top 80 in the world rankings.
A semi-final showing at the US Open which included a win over Roger Federer, saw him move up into the top 30 in the world, but the Bulgarian will look for a season of consistency, and prolonged positive results.
Once the bad boy of British tennis and ranked outside the top 500, Daniel Evans had a favorable 2019, with him moving into the top 50 in the world and now being the number one ranked British player. Although Evans missed out on opportunities to have better results, like the Delray Beach finals where he had championship points, he will be pleased with his season and will look to further on his 2019 showing, in 2020.
A fairly even matched contest between two single handed backhands ahead, but expect the experience of Dimitrov to prevail in two tight sets.
Tip: Dimitrov to win: 6/5. (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
John Isner v Casper Ruud Predictions & Preview
Veteran John Isner and rising young star will look to spearhead the challenges provided by the US and Norway respectively at the ATP Cup. The players have met only once in their careers, at Wimbledon last year with the big serving American winning in three sets.
After a strong 2018, where Isner won his first ever Masters 1000 ( Miami), made the semi-finals of Wimbledon and qualified for the year end ATP Finals in London, it was a less than satisfying 2019 for the big serving American.
The American encountered a foot injury at the Miami Open in March, resulting in him missing most of the clay court season and the return to the grass and hard courts later in the year, was always going to be an uphill task. Ending the decade as the only person outside of the ‘Big Three’ to be ranked in the top 20 every single year-end, Isner is a name that we know has the relentless willingness to succeed.
21 year old Norwegian Casper Ruud has been on the circuit for under three full seasons and has already progressed to being a top 50 player on the ATP tour. Having met with success on the ATP Challenger circuit as well as the Futures’ tour, Ruud has made his presence felt at several tournaments, more so on clay, where he was a finalist at the 2019 US hard court clay championships in Houston.
While it makes for an interesting match-up, the big serving American starts as a clear favorite on the faster courts down under, and having contributed positively many a time in a team setting, Isner will be expected to win this contest in straight sets.
Tip: Isner to win: 5/6 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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Karen Khachanov v Stefano Travaglia Predictions & Preview
Russian Karen Khachanov and Italian Stefano Travaglia meet for the first time in their careers, as Russia takes on Italy on the opening day of the inaugural ATP Cup.
After a very positive end to 2018, with Khachanov winning the ATP Paris Masters 1000 and being ranked in the top 10 during 2019, it was a disappointing overall season for the Russian, as he was unable to defend his title and faced several early losses throughout the year.
Ranked number 17 in the world and not spoken of in the same breath as others like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and others, the big Russian will look to start the year on a strong note and return to being considered as the ‘Next Gen’ that is here to stay.
Italian Stefano Travaglia has been on the circuit for more than five years, and despite being successful on the ATP Challenger and ITF Futures tour, he has not been able to translate that form to the main ATP circuit.
With a career high ranking of number 80, and gone past the first round of a major only once, it will be an uphill task for Travaglia to fill the void of a player like Matteo Berrettini, to accompany the Italian challenge provided by Fabio Fognini.
Despite his lack of form in recent times, Khachanov is the superior player in this contest and can be expected to win this in straight sets.
Tip: Khachanov to win in straight sets: 1/2 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)