Men’s Olympic Tennis First Round – Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul taking place? Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul will take place on Saturday 24th July, 2021 at (not before) 06:00 (UK)
Where is Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul taking place? Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul will take place at Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo
What surface is Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul played on? Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul will be played on hard courts
Where can I get tickets for Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul? There are no tickets for Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul as Olympic Tennis will take place without spectators.
What TV channel is Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul on in the UK? Olympic coverage is shared between BBC and Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedules for Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul
Where can I stream Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul in the UK? If Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul is televised on BBC then it can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If Aslan Karatsev vs Tommy Paul is televised on Eurosport then subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE PREDICTION
World number 24 Aslan Karatsev exploded onto the scene earlier this year with an astonishing run to the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier and the Tokyo Olympics will be played in similar circumstances. The lack of fans in the heat of Melbourne did nothing to discourage the previously relatively unknown Russian and he came into his Grand Slam debut as an ATP Cup winner as part of Team Russia. Representing the ROC here the 27-year-old will be a seriously tough man to beat on what looks like his best surface having won his only ATP title to date on hard at the Dubai Open earlier this year.
This is not the easiest of first round draws against world number 54 Tommy Paul but the 24-year-old has not reached his best form yet this season. A quarter-final at the Rotterdam Open and semi-final at the Emilia-Romagna Open shows he has plenty of potential but this looks a high ceiling at this moment in time. First meetings with the unorthodox Russian tend to go his way, so take Karatsev to win this outright.
