Karen Khachanov vs Andy Murray Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Cincinnati Open

Prediction published on 15/08/2023, 02:00  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 15/08/2023 at 05:21 in Tennis Predictions

Match no taking place - Murray withdrew from tournament

Karen Khachanov makes his tour return and will on Tuesday battle unseeded Andy Murray at the Cincinnati Masters. The winner of this opening-round tie will advance to play unseeded Nicolas Jarry in the second round. Karen Khachanov hasn't taken to the court for a Singles match since his quarterfinal exit at the French Open. He has missed the last two months due to injury. Before going down, the Russian had won four of his last five matches leaving him with a 23-11 record. He will hope to pick up from where he had left off. Thirteen of his victories have come on hard court where he has lost just six times. Khachanov recorded his best-ever result in Cincinnati last season when he made it to the quarterfinals. The 27-year-old had returned back to the ATP Top 10 following his run at Roland Garros.

Andy Murray defeated Khachanov the first time they met, which was on clay at the French Open in 2017. As Khachanov could struggle with his fitness levels here, Murray is primed to double his advantage in this fixture. The Brit has been in good form lately as he has won three of his last four matches. Murray granted eventual Canadian Open champion Jannik Sinner a walkover in the third round in Toronto. This was due to a stomach strain. He has however recovered and is set for his 18th appearance in this Masters 1000 tournament. Murray is a two-time Cincinnati champion but hasn't challenged for the title since finishing as runner-up in 2016. This season has seen his best performances since suffering hip complications in 2019. He is currently ranked 37th in the live ranking after winning 27 of the 39 matches he has played. The joint most, 11,