Atp 1000 Roma - Day 2
Albot R. Muller A.
Albot has shown a lot of consistency in his shots and especially a lot of solidity, conceding very little to his opponent, but we also saw the lack of weight in his shots, which, when his opponent stepped up, led him to lose the set 6-0. On the other hand, Muller came back to win a hard-fought match against the American Nava, mainly thanks to aggression and the ability to make very few mistakes. For me, this match could be very competitive and could even go to a third set.
Atmane T. Mayot H.
Players with a very similar style of play, solid but also capable of varying pace and direction with both their serve and shots. The turning point of this match could be Mayot's greater experience in playing these matches and therefore managing the moments better, unlike Atmane who, being younger, tends to force every shot, often going out of rhythm. Seeing both players' inclination to attack in response, I predict a hard-fought match with many breaks that could possibly lead to a third set, but I slightly favor Mayot.
Kukushkin M. Schwartzman D.
A match between two very experienced players on the circuit and both very good on these courts. The Kazakh relies much more on his serve and forehand but also on aggression in response, which against a player like the Argentine, not endowed with a very solid and powerful first serve, could give him an advantage. Schwartzman has shown today that he can handle these courts well, but as he ages and with his very demanding game away from the court, he tends to suffer more and make more mistakes than necessary. This match will be played a lot in response, but I see Kukushkin having the advantage.
Meligeni Alves F. Barrere G.
Here too, we have two players with a very similar style of play, characterized by consistency and rhythm, and above all by the few free errors conceded to the opponent. As for Barrere, he is much more comfortable on slow clay like that in Rome, where especially on second serves, he manages to enter aggressively and force his opponent into a defensive position. Defense is the daily bread for Meligeni Alves, who likes to play far from the baseline and then gradually move up, almost always closing with his forehand. Both have excellent service percentages, which make me believe it will be an entertaining match that may see the Frenchman prevail in the third set.
Passaro F. Adjukovic D.
The Italian played very well in front of his home crowd, taking advantage of the opportunities given to him by Kovacevic, who seemed uncomfortable on such slow surfaces where the ball doesn't escape. Adjukovic, on the other hand, also won a hard-fought match against Piros, often finding himself behind but managing to recover. Against Passaro's serve, the Croat will have to be very careful because it won't be easy to recover. Again, this could be a hard-fought match, but I see the Italian slightly favored both for his knowledge of the courts and his physical form.
Moutet C. Monteiro T.
Moutet showed his immense talent on these courts today, destroying the Bosnian Dzhumur in 2 easy sets. Gifted with variations and very flashy plays, he has the ability to get his opponent off balance and take the rhythm away from anyone. Monteiro, on the other hand, despite today's victory, seemed tired from the many efforts made in Madrid, and although his serve and forehand could trouble anyone on these courts, I believe that not being able to push well against a player like Moutet could cost him, especially in the long run.
Marterer M. Gasquet R.
Marterer, a powerful player who relies heavily on his serve and forehand, already seemed to struggle in today's match. He faces a veteran like Gasquet, whose backhand is his best weapon with variations that are breathtakingly beautiful. Being one of his last appearances, he will surely give his best and will certainly start as the favorite.