Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Date: 17 April 2022
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2022
Round: Final
Venue: Monte-Carlo Country Club
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Match timing: Not before 2.30 pm local time, 12.30 pm GMT, 6 pm IST
Prize money: €5,802,475
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video | India – Voot
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
Stefanos Tsitsipas will be targeting his second title in Monte-Carlo
Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will square off against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday. The Greek had a decent start to the year, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and the final at Rotterdam.
Tsitsipas then made the quarterfinals in Marseille and the semifinals in Acapulco, where he lost to Cameron Norrie. He was eliminated by Jenson Brooksby in the third round at Indian Wells and by Carlos Alcaraz in the Round of 16 in Miami.
The 23-year-old entered the Monte-Carlo Masters as the third seed and thrashed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-0 in the first round. He then beat Laslo Djere 7-5, 7-6(1) to reach the quarterfinals against Diego Schwartzman. Tsitsipas beat the Argentinian 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4 in a thrilling contest to reach the semifinals, where he dispatched Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
Davidovich Fokina had a disappointing start to the season as he lost in the first round of the Sydney International. The Spaniard reached the second round of the Australian Open before losing in a tense four-setter against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 22-year-old then suffered first-round exits at Marseille and Rotterdam before reaching the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open. After enduring another first-round defeat in Dubai, Davidovich Fokina was out in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters. His poor run continued with opening-round exits at the Miami Masters and the Grand Prix Hassan II.
The Spaniard started his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters by beating Marcos Giron in straight sets. This set up a second-round clash with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, which he won in three sets. Davidovich Fokina then defeated David Goffin in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals.
The 22-year-old fought back from a set down to defeat Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz and then put in a gritty display to get the better of Grigor Dimitrov. The Spaniard will be competing in his first Masters 1000 final on Sunday
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
Sunday’s final will be the third meeting between the two players, with Tsitsipas leading the head-to-head 2-0. Their first encounter came in the quarterfinals of last year’s Monte-Carlo Masters, in which Davidovich Fokina retired after losing the opening set.
The two met at the Rotterdam Open earlier this season, with Tsitsipas winning 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina odds
Stefanos Tsitsipas is heavily favored to win the match because he has been much more consistent this season compared to Davidovich Fokina, who had only won four out of 13 matches prior to the tournament. The Greek has won 21 out of 28 matches this year.
All odds are sourced from Oddschecker.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Tsitsipas will enter the final as the overwhelming favorite but Davidovich Fokina should not be written off given the top players he has beaten this week, including Novak Djokovic.
Tsitsipas served extremely well in his semi-final victory over Alexander Zverev. The Greek hit eight aces and won 75% of points behind his first serve. The World No. 5 is a complete player on clay. He has a strong backhand and a topspin-heavy forehand with which he will look to dictate the match against the Spaniard.
Davidovich Fokina looks to have rediscovered his form from last season. He will need to use his powerful groundstrokes to counter Tsitsipas’ aggression and throw in a drop shot every now and then to disrupt the Greek’s rhythm.
Davidovich Fokina and Tsitsipas have already faced off against each other this season, albeit on the indoor hardcourts of Rotterdam. Like on that occasion, the final in Monte-Carlo promises to be a thrilling contest.
Given Tsitsipas’ prowess on clay and his form this season, he should be able to secure the win and become only the sixth man in the Open Era to defend his title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.
