Andrey Rublev vs Benoit Paire Odds & Prediction – ATP Western & Southern Open Quarterfinals

• Andrey Rublev was expected to be in this Western & Southern Open quarterfinal; Benoit Paire is definitely the dark horse
• The two will meet Friday, August 20 at 1 pm ET. It will be their first-ever meeting at the ATP Tour level
• The Russian is an overwhelming favorite in a potentially dramatic encounter. We break it down below

What has the tennis world been missing because the fiery Andrey Rublev and the mercurial Benoit Paire have never met before on the ATP Tour?

Well, some drama. Probably.

But as well as Paire has played this week at the Western & Southern Open, Rublev is the overwhelming favorite.

Andrey Rublev vs Benoit Paire Odds

Odds as of Aug. 19 at DraftKings

Rublev Outlasts an Ill Monfils Thursday

Rublev clearly thought his third-round opponent Thursday, the performative Gaël Monfils, was being dramatic when he clearly was struggling on the court.

But Monfils left no doubt he was on the level.

Despite that, Monfils still had a shot at winning the second set. He served for the set. And it was neck and neck in the eventual tiebreak when the Frenchman double-faulted at match point to give Rublev a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) win.

Things got tense in the heat of the moment…

But all ended well between Monfils & Rublev 🤝#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/S0GM4j8aX5

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 19, 2021

Concerning for Rublev is that Monfils broke him three times in four opportunities. The Russian only saved himself by breaking right back.

Monfils restricted Rublev to 28 percent success on his second serve. Given Monfils’s distress, he probably was going for more than he usually would just to get the points over with quickly. And a lot of times, he was connecting.

Paire Having His Best Week of 2021

Benoit Paire has made no secret of his lack of enthusiasm for tennis during a pandemic – with bubbles and restrictions and empty stands.

He brought an 8-22 won-loss record for 2021 into Cincinnati.

Three Straight Wins for Paire

But the crowds are back, and Paire is having his best week on eons this week.

First, he knocked off the sturdy Miomir Kecmanovic Then he upset No. 6 seed Denis Shapovalov in three tough sets in the second round.

It was Paire’s first win over a top-10  opponent since 2017.

In the third round, he hung tough with big-serving John Isner until, in the end, the big man hit the wall physically. Paire won 7-6 (1), 6-7 (2), 6-1.

15. Depuis le début de sa carrière, John Isner a disputé 756 tie-breaks sur le circuit ATP. Mais @benoitpaire a réalisé quelque chose que peu de joueurs ont réussi : remporter un tie-break face au géant 🇺🇸 en ne lui laissant qu'un petit point ou moins (0-7 ou 1-7). #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/VRmJvzaBnF

— Jeu, Set et Maths (@JeuSetMaths) August 19, 2021

The first-set tiebreak score was notable.

Of the 756 deciders Isner has played in his career, only 15 have been lost 7-0 or 7-1.

It’s the first time Paire has won three consecutive matches since January 2020 in Auckland, where he reached the final.

Andrey Rublev vs Benoit Paire Head-to-Head

Previous Encounter: Inconclusive

The only meeting so far between Rublev and Paire came nearly five years ago, on the Challenger circuit in France.

Paire was ranked No. 47  – about what he is now. Rublev, who had just turned 19, was ranked No. 171.

The Frenchman hasn’t changed much since then (more facial hair, perhaps). Rublev is now No. 7 in the world.

Andrey Rublev vs Benoit Paire Match History

This matchup essentially comes down to who can boss.

Mr. Forehand Meets Mr. Backhand

If Paire wants to win, he’ll have to do everything in his power to make it a backhand-to-backhand matchup. That – unusually on the ATP Tour – is his strength and Rublev’s relative weakness.

Rublev, conversely, will want to make it a forehand-to-forehand clash so he can unleash his big weapon and overcome Paire’s technically challenged one.

The problem Rublev has is that hitting his inside-out forehand goes right to Paire’s strength. He’ll have to put that one in the bag most of the time and go crosscourt.

It feels as though Paire has already done what he needed to do in Cincinnati: set himself up with a bit of form to perform in New York.

He’s already been doing a lot of moaning and yapping in the humidity (if you don’t understand French, you’re lucky).

He’s about at the end of his tether, and Rublev’s forehand might snap off the few threads still holding it together.

Best Bet:  Rublev in two sets (-225)