TennisSection previews the 2021 St Petersburg Open as Karen Khachanov takes on Marin Cilic in the Round of 16 on Thursday, October 28th, 2021.
Will Karen Khachanov get the win? Will Marin Cilic pull off the upset? This will be an interesting one, where we have two players in great form coming to a clash. Who will move on to the quarterfinals at the 2021 St Petersburg Open?
Karen Khachanov got a great win over a tricky opponent in Adrian Mannarino to set up this even tougher meeting with Marin Cilic. Cilic is in great form, having made the Kremlin Cup final last week and dispatching of his first opponent here in St Petersburg effortlessly. While Khachanov is still the clear favorite to take this one in straights, simply due to his ranking and results as of late, Cilic can and will undoubtedly push him. Khachanov isn’t the best returner, and Cilic has been serving great, so if Cilic keeps up the serving, then Khachanov will struggle to dominate the sets, resulting in some tight ones. Khachanov should get over the hurdle, but I think both sets will be tight as the two fight for a spot in the quarterfinals at the 2021 St Petersburg Open.
Marin Cilic got a great win over Ramos-Vinolas to set up this really tough meeting with Karen Khachanov. Khachanov has been playing solid tennis, and to take on such an opponent with great results this year, as we saw in Wimbledon and Tokyo, is a very tough task. Not to mention, they’re playing on a fast court, where Khachanov will definitely have the edge. Cilic loves quick surfaces, it suits his game with his big and flat groundstrokes and his big, consistent serving. In order to take out Khachanov, he will have to try and focus on his serve, if he can make sure Khachanov doesn’t break him, maybe he can get a few opportunities on return or tough it out in the breakers. But Khachanov is not the best returner, so Cilic should try and capitalize on that as he attempts to challenge him for a spot in the last eight at the 2021 St Petersburg Open.
Karen Khachanov and Marin Cilic have met once before, with Marin Cilic leading the head to head 1-0. Their one meeting came at the 2018 edition of the Cincinnati Open, with Cilic winning in 3 tight sets. Cilic was still playing pretty well at that point, while Khachanov was a youngster on the rise. Cincy is a quick court, and if Khachanov could push him that much then, then I doubt he’ll have too much trouble here. Cilic would have to put on the performance of a lifetime, which is just unlikely at this point, not only considering that Cilic is in the twilight of his career, but also the fact that Khachanov has had such great results on faster courts this year. Let’s see if Khachanov can put on a good show and continue storming through the draw here at the 2021 St Petersburg Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Karen Khachanov to win in 2 sets.
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
Join TopCourt now to learn from some of the best tennis players in the world! Find out exclusive 14-day FREE-trial here!
All betting odds/banners presented on the site are advertisements. Opinions of our experts are solely opinions. Please gamble responsibly and BeGambleAware.org.
