Rublev, playing at the Canadian Open for the fourth time, has won only one match at the tournament and is 1-3, not including qualifying. His best finish in the tournament is the round of 16, which he achieved in the 2021 tournament. Rublev was beaten in the second round of last year’s tournament.
Rublev will start his season on hard courts in North America. The Russian last played at the European Open in Hamburg, where he unexpectedly dropped out in the second round, losing to Daniel Altmaier. Rublev is currently 40-15 this season and has won a few titles at Bastade and Monte Carlo.
McDonald, meanwhile, advanced to the second round after beating Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-4. He lost ground in the opener, but immediately took a reverse break and leveled the score. He broke again to secure the lead and win the first set.
A similar pattern was repeated in the second set, with McDonald again throwing the serve and trailing 1–3. Then he bounced back and equalized. Then he made a decisive break with the score 4:4, finished the game and won in 1 hour and 44 minutes.
MacDonald advanced to the second round of the Citi Open last week, losing to Grigor Dimitrov. This time, he hopes for a different outcome.
In personal meetings, Rublev and MacDonald 1-1. The American won his first encounter at the 2019 Australian Open. Rublev won in Dubai last year.
Rublev will be the favorite of the match. The 25-year-old is likely to dominate the baseline with a powerful forehand, although McDonald’s style of play could change the tide. The draws will be quick, and none of the players will want to cash out. But all the same, Rublev is stronger and needs to go further.
Match forecast: Victory of Rublev.
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Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
