In the 1/8 finals of the Olympic tennis tournament, world No. 13 Diego Schwartzman will meet Karen Khachanov ranked No. 25. They have played four times before, the Argentinian winning +3-1.
Diego Schwartzman form
Diego Schwartzman has competed only in major tournaments lately, including Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and now the Olympics. The Argentinian reached the Roland Garros 1/7 finals to lose to Rafa Nadal by 1:3. The match lasted 2 hours 48 minutes, Diego didn't get a single point in the fourth set. At Wimbledon, Schwartzman went through two rounds beating Paire and Broady, but dropped out in the third one losing to Fucsovics. At the Olympic tournament Diego had the upper hand over Varillas and Machac. Diego didn't have any strong opponents in Tokyo yet.
A couple of months ago I started going into a slump. I couldn't perform at my best and second-guessed myself. Luckily, Roland-Garros helped me get my form back. I’m feeling pretty good about the Games. I have to adapt to a new tournament and its format. If I'm lucky with the draw I can win a medal
Karen Khachanov form
After beating the Japanese Nishioka, Karen Khachanov defeated the Australian James Duckworth, world No. 77. So far, Karen, like Schwartzman, hasn’t faced any serious competition at the Olympics. The upcoming game will be a test not only for Diego, but also for Karen. Before the Olympic tournament, the Russian showed good results at Wimbledon, reaching the fifth round and knocking out McDonald, Gerasimov, Tiafoe and Korda.
I knew what to expect, I played against him in St. Petersburg last year. When I came out to play, I was hoping it would be cloudy. I didn't want to play in the sun, but it came out, and the balls started to fly and bounce well. The game took a completely different turn, and it took me a couple of games to get used to it. And I didn't serve a lot at first. He was just getting it and taking the ball. And I was probably a little nervous in the first games, trying to understand his manner of play, and get used to his rhythm. I kept going, stayed in the game, I'm glad I stayed calm and did my best.
Expert Betting Tips
Karen has been playing well and showing great results lately, no wonder the Russian is a favorite between them, though Diego has a decent head-to-head advantage. We think that Karen has a good chance to beat the Argentinian player. However, it’s likely to be a very long match of three sets. Here are the odds for the game: Diego Schwartzman to win + Handicap (+1.5) for 1.88, Diego Schwartzman to win for 1.80, Total over (22.5) for 1.90.
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