Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Beijing match.
As part of the Round of 32 at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, Andrey Rublev will face Pablo Carreño Busta. Which athlete will end their campaign and who will advance to the Round of 16?
Andrey Rublev
Andrey has been off the court for some time, taking a break after his fourth-round loss at the US Open, where he was defeated in a five-set thriller by Grigor Dimitrov (10). The Russian also competed at the Montreal tournament, where he lost in the final to Alexei Popyrin. Both tournaments were held on hard courts. Currently ranked sixth in the ATP rankings, Rublev rightfully enters this contest as the clear favourite.
Pablo Carreño Busta
Pablo Carreño Busta sits at 201st in the ATP rankings. After numerous injuries, the Spaniard has significantly declined, evident in his first-round defeat at the recent US Open to Arthur Cazaux, who is ranked 92nd. In that match, Pablo only managed to win seven games, losing in three sets without putting up much of a fight. Prior to that, in the Montreal and Cincinnati tournaments, he advanced past the opening round but was immediately ousted when facing tough opposition. In Montreal, he lost in two sets to Holger Rune (14), and in Cincinnati, he fell in two sets to Alexander Zverev (2).
Andrey Rublev vs Pablo Carreño Busta Prediction
These athletes have faced each other four times, including twice on hard courts, with the Russian winning on each occasion. However, their last meeting was back in 2019. In the upcoming contest, much will depend on Andrey's form, but we believe the break has benefited him, and he is now in optimal shape. Rublev will win this match comfortably.