Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Rotterdam match.
The history between Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz is quite eventful, with five previous encounters. Currently, the Polish player holds a narrow lead, but this time, Rublev is the higher seed (No.4).
Andrey Rublev
Since August 2024, Rublev has not progressed beyond the quarter-finals in any tournament. While this may seem concerning, the Russian has openly spoken about overcoming psychological struggles, stating that he now feels like a different player. His second-round match against Fabian Marozsan was a true test of his composure. Rublev remained focused for nearly two hours, and despite losing his serve twice in key moments, he held his nerve in both tie-breaks. Even when Marozsan led (7:6) in the second-set tie-break, Rublev won three consecutive points to seal the match (7:6, 7:6).
Hubert Hurkacz
Hurkacz had a much smoother path to the quarter-finals. He faced Jiri Lehecka, a player close to him in the rankings (No.21 vs No.24), but fortune played a role. The first set was tight, requiring extra games (7:5), but just as the second set began, with Hurkacz leading (2:0), Lehecka retired due to injury. There’s a question mark over whether Hurkacz would have won had Lehecka been fully fit.
Andrey Rublev vs Hubert Hurkacz Prediction
Despite Rublev’s grueling second-round match and Hurkacz's slight edge in their head-to-head, we believe the Russian will claim the win. Their last meeting was the Shanghai Masters 2023 final, where Hurkacz clinched victory in a third-set tie-break, but Rublev is in a strong mental state now. This match is likely to be a tough battle, possibly featuring another tie-break, but we expect Rublev to prevail.
