Roberto Bautista-Agut vs Karen Khachanov Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Marseille

Prediction published on 06/02/2024, 09:43  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

Third seed Karen Khachanov and Roberto Bautista Agut will meet for the 10th time when they square off in Marseille next. The winner of this second-round showdown will then play either Felix Auger-Aliassime, Quentin Halys, Zhang Zhizhen, or Giulio Zeppieri next. Roberto Bautista Agut has dominated this series with Khachanov and has won six times against the Russian. He should therefore be confident of prolonging his stay in this ATP 250 event. The Spaniard is in his sixth main draw appearance in Marseille. Returning after a six-year hiatus, the former semifinalist here defeated Richard Gasquet in straight sets in the first round. This allowed him to tie his record for the season to 3-3. The 35-year-old former world number nine is currently ranked 102nd in the live ranking.

Karen Khachanov is a former Marseille champion. He triumphed here in 2018 and in his last appearance, 2021, made it to the quarterfinals. His past successes here will have him confident of loosening Agut’s hold in this series. Khachanov has defeated his Spanish opponent three times though all of his victories have been on clay. He won the most recent meeting last season in Madrid. The Russian is coming off a fourth-round finish at the Australian Open. Last season he made it to the semifinals in Melbourne, meaning he was unable to defend the points he earned. He remains in the ATP top 20 though and is currently ranked as the 18th best player in the world.