Atp 250 Marrakech - Day 2
Nagal S. vs. Sonego L.
In the previous round, Nagal staged a comeback against a decent opponent who, once again, proved to be error-prone, practically gifting away all service games from 1-0 onwards. Now, the Indian player faces a formidable opponent in Lorenzo Sonego, who has had an excellent start to the season and can capitalize on his greater freshness and ability to retrieve non-incisive shots from the Indian player. I predict a match that the Italian player could win, perhaps after a first-set orientation following the surface change.
Kotov P. vs. Cobolli F.
Kotov's recent victory was very unconvincing against the world No. 665, who still managed to trouble the Russian player. Kotov has shown all the insecurity he carries with him in this early part of the season: little incisiveness and too many errors. Against players in good form who are comfortable on this surface like Cobolli, I don't see him getting anything. For me, it's a one-sided match that will see the Italian player prevail.
Berrettini M. vs. Munar J.
Berrettini is returning to his past glory, especially now that he has changed coach, opting for a former Spanish player. With his powerful serve, forehand, and variations with the backhand, he becomes even more dangerous on this surface. On the other hand, Munar, coming from Nadal's school, finds playing on these surfaces natural and possesses all the shots that come with it. With this being a slightly faster clay court than others, I foresee Berrettini having a slight advantage.
Djere L. vs. Fognini F.
Djere lost in the last clay-court tournament in Rio against the excellent Lajovic but still showed some excellent play, especially with his high-trajectory backhand that brings the ball back short and allows him to finish the point subsequently. Fognini, on the other hand, is a player who has always done well on clay, with excellent variations. However, he has played three consecutive three-set matches, so he might feel the fatigue in the long run.
Evans D. vs. Carballes Baena R.
Neither player favors this surface, with Evans not having played on clay since last year's French Open. His backhand and chip-and-charge with frequent net approaches have proven to be a disadvantage for him on clay. Carballes Baena, although he prefers hard courts to clay, as a good Spanish player, is always a threat on these courts. Despite previous encounters favoring him, this year he lacks confidence, so ultimately, I'll side with the Englishman.
Goffin D. vs. Moreno de Alboran N.
Goffin, an experienced player nearing the end of his career, comes from a good victory where he managed to exploit the wind and perfectly alter high trajectories and drop shots as required by the surface. Moreno de Alboran is proving to be a complete player who beat specialist Diaz Acosta today, showing solidity and consistency. I predict a third set, perhaps with Goffin coming out on top in the end.
Navone M. vs. Wawrinka S.
Navone and Wawrinka are both clay court specialists, very proficient with their backhands and serves, and both enjoy playing a drop shot or a high lob followed by a net rush. There's very little to analyze here; I think episodes and the Swiss player's experience could make the difference, perhaps after a close match.