Cincinnati Masters 2022: Daniil Medvedev vs. Taylor Fritz Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Cincinnati Masters as Daniil Medvedev takes on Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal on Friday, August 19th, 2022.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev has advanced into the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters unscathed, but he will face his first acid test at the tournament when he battles the high-flying Taylor Fritz in last eight. Who will prevail?

Daniil Medvedev is improving with each passing round at the Cincinnati Masters. That could be bad news for the rest of the field who are looking to stop the top seed from adding a second title to his collection in 2022. Medvedev, truth be told, has been far from perfect this season. There have been a few close defeats and heartbreaking losses. And he was forced to dig deep to end his title drought this year, winning the Los Cabos ATP 250 title just a few weeks ago. That could be the tonic he needed to get himself firing on all cylinders ahead of his US Open title defense. Medvedev delivered a more clinical performance against Denis Shapovalov in the third round in Ohio as he eked out a 7-5 7-5 win.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, handed Andrey Rublev a damaging defeat in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters. The top-ranked American soaked up pressure and Rublev’s incisive ball striking to come out on top in a three-set thriller. Defeat means that Rublev will exit the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2020, whilst simultaneously boosting Fritz’s hopes to join the top 10 club.

Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have not played each on the ATP Tour. Their quarterfinal clash at the Cincinnati Masters will be their first official meeting. Medvedev has shifted through the gears since that poor display against van de Zandschulp. Against Shapovalov, he was back at his scintillating best, returning with interest and retrieving almost every fierce shot Shapovalov sent to him. Fritz will certainly be a tad more consistent in his ball striking than the Canadian which will make this match even more enticing. While the American has the weaponry to breach Medvedev’s brick-wall defense, the Russian remains a stubborn defender from the back of the court and should be expected to have the edge.