One quarter-final pick from Beijing today, and it's a genuinely interesting one. Khachanov and Hurkacz are both players capable of big results on hard courts, so let's get into it.
China Open Predictions
Hubert Hurkacz vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Khachanov leads 1-0
The only previous meeting went Khachanov's way, and ranking-wise he comes in as the higher-ranked player too, sitting at 26 in the world compared to Hurkacz's 41. Hurkacz was once a top-10 fixture and a genuine hard-court threat, but he's had a rough stretch and hasn't looked like that player for a while now and his ranking slide tells the story pretty well.
Khachanov's big serve and flat ball-striking are well suited to these conditions, and on a fast hard court he's hard to break down when he's moving well. I feel like this one goes the distance, because Hurkacz still has the weapons to make it uncomfortable, but Khachanov's the better player right now and should close it out in three, all things considered.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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