Madrid 2023: Khachanov vs. Bautista Agut Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Madrid Open third-round match featuring Karen Khachanov vs. Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

Karen Khachanov vs. Roberto Bautista Agut Preview

Karen Khachanov will attempt to halve the deficit against Roberto Bautista Agut in their head-to-head when the pair clash in the third round of the Madrid Open. Who will prevail?

Prior to this week, Karen Khachanov had a 1-5 lifetime record at the Madrid Open. In his five visits, he scored one win, which came way back in 2019 when he defeated Jaume Munar. But he ended his four-year hoodoo at the event with a second-round win over Thiago Monteiro, overcoming a second-set blip to win in three sets.

Roberto Bautista Agut, meanwhile, returned to winning form and solving the Quentin Halys puzzle for once this season. Agut had lost to the Frenchman in his first clay-court tournament on the European clay this year in Estoril but had the answers this time despite trailing by a set. After saving two break points in the second, he forced a tiebreak which he won and went on to break the Halys serve twice in the decider to reach the third round of the Madrid Open.

Karen Khachanov vs. Roberto Bautista Agut Prediction and Pick

Roberto Bautista Agut leads Karen Khachanov 6-2 in their head-to-head, winning their last three matches in a row. It is pertinent to note that six of their eight meetings went the full distance, with Khachanov remarkably winning twice on the clay. Despite Bautista Agut’s underwhelming start to the clay swing, Khachanov doesn’t justify being such a clear favorite at -167. We recommend backing the games market at -114 or taking the set handicap of +1.5 on Bautista Agut.