Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Delray Beach match.
Technically, Duckworth and Davidovich Fokina have never faced each other at the ATP level. They did meet at a Challenger event in Thailand in 2019, but those matches are not officially recognised by ATP records. Neither player is currently ranked inside the top 50, though Davidovich Fokina enters Delray Beach as the 8th seed.
James Duckworth
The 32-year-old Australian has struggled to establish himself on the ATP Tour. He rarely competes in the main draw of ATP events, and his win-loss record is negative. Although his 2023 hard-court record (23-14) looks promising, it is mostly inflated by Challenger-level wins and qualifying rounds. The reality is that Duckworth has lost in the first round in 9 of his last 10 ATP tournaments. His only exception was the Australian Open, where he got a lucky first-round draw against Dominic Stricker (ranked in the 400s), winning 6:2, 6:4, 6:2. However, when he faced a more solid opponent in Roberto Carballés Baena (ranked 57th), he lost in straight sets (4:6, 2:6, 5:7).
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
The Spanish player is currently ranked 60th, though a year ago, he was as high as 24th. Last season, he played in Marseille instead of Delray Beach, but failed to qualify for the main draw, prompting him to opt for North America this time. Davidovich Fokina has been more consistent in 2025, reaching at least the second round in three out of four tournaments. At the Australian Open, he had a strong run to the fourth round, including a win over a seeded player.
James Duckworth vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Prediction
There is a clear advantage for Davidovich Fokina here. If you want to play it safe, a straight win for the Spaniard is a solid option. However, we lean towards a more dominant performance, expecting him to win in two sets.
