In the third round of the Paris Masters, the powerful Russian Karen Khachanov faces Australian Alexei Popyrin in what is expected to be a great battle between two hard-hitters. Both come in with a win streak recently and into strong form, but Khachanov has really been on an amazing streak, winning nine of his last ten and recently beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Meanwhile, Popyrin is known to be a giant-slaying player and came into this match after some important victories over Daniil Medvedev in a tight three-setter. Khachanov leads their H2H 3-1, coming into this having beaten Popyrin in straight sets in the Semifinals in Doha. Both men are looking for momentum with the season drawing toward its close.
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Coming into this match, Karen Khachanov currently lies 21st in the ATP Tour rankings and full of confidence. He's combined power with patience, and in the tiebreaks-when it comes to mental toughness-he has been one of the differentiators. Meanwhile, Popyrin has more of a mixed record in recent times, winning five of his last ten matches, showing he can battle with the best, as was evident with the win over Medvedev. This is likely to be settled by who does better in holding their service games, then making the most of the errors that might come from the opponent.
Tactical Approach
Khachanov has to come out hot with an aggressive baseline game featuring the use of his powerful forehand to dictate early. The likely game plan will be to pin Popyrin to his backhand side-a shot that can break down under pressure. Khachanov's serve is one of his main weapons, and if he maintains his good percentage of first serves, he would have a chance to really control the tempo, especially on some of the faster indoor courts in Paris. He has also become more consistent in rallies now, which he would try to use against Popyrin-who often gets inconsistent and loses his focus during long, tough rallies.
Conversely, Popyrin would want this to be a serve-dominant encounter. His serve, when in target, is a potent weapon that secures many cheap points and sets him up for follow-through attack. On the back of Khachanov's aggressive baseline play, Popyrin could serve-and-volley or approach the net on short balls to break up the rhythm of Khachanov. The recent win against Medvedev showed his resilience when in tough situations, and such a display of mental toughness would come in handy here.
Expert Betting Tips
The match seems finely balanced considering the current form of both players, but Khachanov goes into it with a clear advantage. Consistent results over the last few weeks, with a 9-1 in the process, pretty much define his confidence and fitness levels at this very moment. Furthermore, he leads the H2H against Popyrin, and that's also an added psychological factor, as Popyrin has always struggled against Khachanov's aggressive baseline game. However, given how resilient Popyrin has been against top opponents and his big-stage performance of late, this match could be competitive.
- Karen Khachanov Wins @ 1.67 Odds
- Karen Khachanov (-1.5) Games Handicap @ 1.77 Odds
- Karen Khachanov Wins @ 1.61 Odds
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