Atp 1000 Roma - Day 1

Gaston H. Meligeni Alves F.
Gaston is a very technical player who likes to vary his game and has recently achieved important results like reaching the semifinals in Bucharest. He might be a bit tired, although on this surface, I see him as the favorite compared to Meligeni Alves, who is a typical South American player who likes to hit hard with his serve and forehand but often risks losing rhythm and conceding many free points. The match could be entertaining and competitive, but much will depend on the condition of the French player.

Kokkinakis T. Atmane T.
Kokkinakis is a powerful player who relies heavily on his serve and forehand. On such a slow surface, his game might suffer a bit, but his opponent is a fairly solid player who is also adept at varying his pace, which may not affect the Australian's game much. The match could feature at least one hard-fought set and may be decided in the third, perhaps with Kokkinakis emerging victorious.

Piros Z Adjokivic D.
Both players are very similar, basing their game on variations and aggressive forehands, but they also mix it up well with drop shots and weightless shots that disrupt their opponent's game. Adjokovic is certainly much more comfortable on these surfaces compared to Piros, who struggles, especially with footwork and movement, unable to move well and apply pressure. I believe this match heavily favors the Croatian, who will likely dominate, although at least one set could be hard-fought.

Vacherot V. Mayot H.
Both players are highly skilled on the surface, relying heavily on a first strike to finish with the subsequent shot after the serve. Despite this, they adopt an aggressive position in response, attempting to take control of the game. In this match, I see Vacherot as the favorite, who is also in much better physical shape and could make the difference in the long run.

Kovacevic A. Passaro F.
Kovacevic is a player with excellent variations and powerful groundstrokes but prefers faster surfaces. He faces Passaro, an Italian player who is quite solid but lacks particularly incisive shots and often concedes free points. Although the season's performances suggest there may not be a match, Passaro tends to excel in these situations and could even steal a set from the American.

Moutet C. Dzhumur D.
Moutet is a player with many variations and aggression but struggles on serve. He is coming off a great third round in Madrid and aims to at least reach the main draw in Rome. Dzhumur will likely push from the start with his serve and forehand, trying to keep the Frenchman away from the baseline. The match could close in the third, perhaps with the victory of the French player.

Nava E. Muller A.
Here we have players who prefer faster surfaces but, thanks to their forehands and serves, manage to vary and push effectively from the baseline. While Muller comes from faster clay surfaces, Nava played a challenger in Cagliari on a very similar surface and performed well. Muller, being more experienced, manages the moments better and particularly concedes few free errors. It could be a very entertaining and hard-fought match.

Schwartzman D. Ramos A.
A showdown between two experienced players who love the clay, especially this slower variety that allows them to vary their game, alternating between drop shots and high forehands that push their opponent far back. A rematch of what happened in Madrid, which saw Ramos victorious in a comeback. Here, we could have exactly the same match, a third set with at least one tie-break.

Bergs Z. Kypson P.
Bergs is a player who relies heavily on his serve to rush to the net and finish with a volley, a strategy that might not bear fruit on the Roman clay, especially considering that his opponent prefers to respond quite close to the baseline, returning the ball quickly and causing difficulties for the Belgian. However, the Belgian is more accustomed to playing on these courts unlike the American who prefers faster surfaces but, thanks to his forehand, could prolong the match.

Medjedovic H. Ugo Carabelli U.
Medjedovic comes from excellent performances in Madrid, which have restored confidence in his groundstrokes, allowing him to make the difference. On the other hand, as a true South American, Carabelli is a player with excellent variations that disrupt the rhythm and could play for the win. It will be a hard-fought match, which will be much more about the Argentine's serve, who will need to maintain high percentages.

Moreno de Alboran N. Varillas J.P.
Both players are very similar, basing their game on the serve and forehand, which often allow them to hold their service games in many matches. Moreno de Alboran prefers and performs better on faster surfaces compared to Varillas, who is more of a pure clay player. However, the American has shown excellent variety of shots even on these courts. It will certainly be a hard-fought match that could end in the third set, perhaps in favor of the American.

Tirante T.A. Bagnis F.
An Argentine derby between two experienced players of the surface. Bagnis is a player in great form who has found security, especially with his serve and forehand, unlike Tirante, who relies more on variations and defensive shots. Being more experienced, Bagnis is unlikely to falter in decisive moments and concede much to his opponents. Tirante, on the other hand, is much more inconsistent in those moments. It could be a hard-fought match, but I see Bagnis as the favorite.