Prediction for the quarterfinals between Sweden and Russia
The fourth and final quarter-final match in the Davis Cup final in 2021 looks to be the most skewed match when Russia meets Sweden in Madrid. The Russians are without a doubt the strongest team in the draw, with four players ranked among the top 30, spearheaded by a pair of top 10 stars in Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. Germany are waiting for the winner of this match in the semifinals. The Swedish team has already exceeded all expectations by reaching the quarterfinals, can they be upset, or will the Russians be too strong?
Davis Cup Finals Quarterfinal Prediction
Russia vs Sweden
Head-to-head: Sweden 5-2 Russia
Likely matches:
Andrey Rublev vs. Elias Ymer
Daniil Medvedev vs. Mikael Ymer
Andrey Rublev / Aslan Karatsev vs André Göransson / Robert Lindstedt
The Russian team overcame strong opposition to finish at the top of Group A. A 3-0 sweep of Ecuador was easy enough, a 2-1 victory for Spain was much tougher. Rublev was shocked by Feliciano Lopez in the first rubber, before Medvedev stabilized the ship with a hard-fought 6-2 7-6 win over Pablo Carreno Busta. It was up to the increasingly successful pair of Rublev and Karatsev to seal the deal with a three-set victory over Lopez and Granollers.
Sweden managed to sneak into the quarterfinals despite finishing second in Group B. Sweden were beaten by Kazakhstan 2-1 in their opening match but were able to secure one of the two second places in eight thanks to a 3-0 dubbing by Canada. Sweden had one of the weakest teams on paper on the way to the final, so it was a great achievement for them to advance to the quarterfinals, everything extra is a big bonus.
It’s hard to see the Russians being too challenged by this tie. Rublev and Medvedev should be far too strong for the Ymer brothers. Medvedev will not lose to a player at that level, Rublev seems somewhat vulnerable right now but should not be too bothered by Ymer. In the very unlikely scenario where a crucial double rubber is needed, the Russian team will probably still come out on top considering how well Rublev and Karatsev have played together recently.
Forecast: Russia 2-0 Sweden
Main photo:
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