Karen Khachanov vs Alexei Popyrin: Khachanov to get off to a good start in Rotterdam

A year ago in Dubai, Khachanov beat Popyrin in three sets. Not surprisingly, bookmakers consider the Russian the favorite for the upcoming game. Let's not forget that Khachanov is a master in the halls, while Popyrin's first indoor in 2022 ended in failure.

Karen missed last week, as the Russian took a break after three consecutive tournaments on the Fifth Continent. At the Australian Open, Khachanov reached the third round, knocking Kudla and Bonzi out of the draw and losing in four games to Rafael Nadal, the future winner of the first Major in 2022. It should be noted that the Russian was one of the few who put up a decent fight against the Spaniard, so we can say that Karen is in pretty good shape.

Popyrin failed in the first part of the season. Loss to Griekspoor in the second round of Melbourne, defeat at hands of Martinez Portero as early as in the first round of Sydney and failure in the first match of the Australian Open in the match against Rinderknech, though, in five sets. Alexei's ordeal did not end there, and at his first tournament in Europe, Popyrin also lost in the opening round to Krajinovic, the semifinalist-to-be. Popyrin fought with the Serb and they even played a tie-break in the second set, however we saw the real level of Philip in the semi-final against Alexander Bublik. Let us remind you that the Kazakhstani outplayed Krajinovic very easily in two games.

We know that Khachanov loves indoors. In 2018 Karen won three tournaments like that, including the Masters in Paris. The Russian played decently at the Australian Open, and has a track record of beating Alexei. Popyrin, to put it mildly, was unimpressive at tournaments on the Fifth Continent, and he began his European tour with a defeat at the hands of a totally not-than-strong Krajinovic, in two sets. We consider Karen a deserved favorite for the upcoming meeting, and it is unlikely that Alexei will give him a hard time. Here are the betting options for you to consider: TU (22.5) for 1.89; Correct Score 2-0 for 2.00; TU (22.5) for 2.02.