Andrey Rublev vs Alexei Popyrin Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Popyrin targets third win over Rublev

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Tue 12 Aug 2025 00:46

Andrew Hendrie 12 Aug 2025

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Andrey Rublev vs Alexei Popyrin predictions for Tuesday's ATP Cincinnati R32 match
Popyrin has won the last two meetings between the pair
Rublev hasn't beaten a player ranked higher than No. 30 since February
Three of Popyrin's last four matches have gone three sets
The match is scheduled to start at 1.00am AEST on Wednesday August 13

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Alexei Popyrin (Photo by Getty Images)

Andrey Rublev vs Alexei Popyrin Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Alexei Popyrin will fancy himself for the upset when he comes up against Andrey Rublev in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday.

Andrey Rublev vs Alexei Popyrin Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Head To Head
Andrey Rublev Form
Alexei Popyrin Form
Live Stream

I was a bit surprised to see Popyrin as a $2.50 outsider for this clash - the Aussie is back in good form with his run to the Canada Masters quarter-finals last week, while he's defeated Rublev - who has been far from his best for quite a while now - in the last two meetings between the pair, winning both in straight sets. The heat and quick courts in Cincinnati should also favour Popyrin, so there's no reason why he can't make it three consecutive victories over the Russian here.

Head To Head

Popyrin leads 2-1. Rublev won the first encounter 7-6 6-4 back in Vienna 2023, but Popyrin has turned the tables, prevailing 6-4 6-4 at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters before a destructive 6-2 6-4 triumph in the final of last year's Montreal Masters.

Andrey Rublev Form

Rublev comes into this contest with a 27-18 record on the season, but he's dropped out of the top 10 and not playing close to the kind of level he was a few years ago when he hit his career-high of No. 5 in 2021.

It appeared as if Rublev was back when he surged to the ATP 500 title in Doha back in February, beating the likes of Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper along the way.

However, that was the last time Rublev registered a completed victory over a player ranked higher than 30 in the world, which illustrates his level over the last few months.

Rublev advanced to the Toronto Masters quarter-finals last week, but was no match for Taylor Fritz, while he got his Cincinnati campaign up and running with a straight sets victory over Learner Tien, who had beaten him earlier in the summer in Washington.

The Russian is a former runner-up in Cincinnati (2021) and has made the quarter-finals on two other occasions (2019, 2024).

Alexei Popyrin Form

It's been a wildly inconsistent season for Popyrin, who heads into this showdown with a negative 16-17 record, but at a career-high ranking of No. 19. However, that ranking is a bit misleading, because Popyrin will fall to No. 36 if he loses this match due to his Canada Masters title points coming off this tournament.

Popyrin lost eight of his opening 10 hardcourt matches of the season, but saved himself with a good clay swing, reaching the Monte Carlo quarter-finals and fourth round at Roland Garros.

The Aussie risked an even bigger rankings drop, but saved face with a solid run back to the quarter-finals in Toronto, beating the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune before going down in three sets against top seed Alexander Zverev.

Popyrin will be hoping for a similar result to try and remain in the top 30 in Cincinnati - he got off to a good start, beating rising Spaniard Martin Landaluce 7-6 6-3.