Juan Pablo Varillas vs Andrey Rublev Prediction & Betting Tips - Belgrade, Serbia, Qualifying

Prediction published on 20/04/2023, 03:45  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 20/04/2023 at 03:52 in Tennis Predictions

Round 2 of the ATP Srpska Open will get underway on Thursday, and on centre court, we will see Juan Pablo Varillas take on Andrey Rublev in what should be an entertaining match for onlookers. Rublev has been very good this year and is one of the most consistent performers on the circuit. The Russian comes into this tournament off the back of his first major title win of the season at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, which was also his first clay court tournament this year. In that tournament, Rublev had to overcome the likes of an in-form Karen Khachanov in the second round and the American Taylor Fritz in the semi-final before a titanic struggle in the final against Holgar Rune, which went down to the final set (5-7 6-2 7-5). With that tournament win, Rublev is unbeaten on clay this year, sporting a record of 5-0 on the surface and 18-8 overall. Currently ranked sixth in the world, another strong performance here in Srpska will see Rublev cut the gap between himself and the top five significantly. 

On the other hand, a familiar face on the clay court, Juan Pablo Varillas, will be looking to put his Monte Carlo Masters disappointment behind him by pulling off a major upset in this one. The Peruvian was knocked out in the qualifiers of the tournament in Monaco, as he was unable to overcome Jan Lennnard Struff, losing in straight sets to the German. Varillas' best showing to date came in the Sanremo Challenger event at the end of last month, where he navigated his way to the final, overcoming Kimmer Coppejans in the semis, but fell just short at the final hurdle against Luca van Assche (6-1 6-3). Having played primarily on clay for the majority of the year to date, Varillas has managed a decent record of 12-7 on this surface. However, coming up against the second seed in this one, the Peruvian will have to be at his absolute best to stand any chance of progressing.