After the qualifying was wrapped up on Monday at the ATP Rome Masters, Tuesday’s schedules sees the main-draw action continue, with a number of star names set to open their campaigns at the Foro Italico. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Milos Raonic vs Adrian Mannarino. But who will reach the second round in the Eternal City?
ATP Rome Masters Day Two Predictions
Andrey Rublev vs Facundo Bagnis
Head-to-head: first meeting
Andrey Rublev hasn’t played a competitive match on the ‘terre battue’ in over 400 days. In a marked contrast, Facundo Bagnis’ schedule since the Australian Open has consisted exclusively of clay-court events, with one of the perks of the Challenger Tour that specialists can play almost exclusively on their preferred surface. And the Argentine should be acclimatised to the conditions in Rome having come through the qualifying with wins over Tommy Paul, James Duckworth and Mikael Ymer.
Rublev, however, looks certain to present Bagnis’ with a far greater challenge. At the Hamburg Open, when he last appeared on the dirt, the Russian picked up wins over Cristian Garin, Casper Ruud, Dominic Thiem and Pablo Carreno Busta, all of whom are more than capable clay-courters. He may be a little rusty early on, having had little time to adapt to the change in surface since the US Open, but expect him to prove too strong for Bagnis in the end.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
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Tennys Sandgren vs Salvatore Caruso
Head-to-head: first meeting
Tennys Sandgren arrived at the ATP Rome Masters having not won a match on clay since May 2018, making his run through the qualifying mightily impressive. He first overcame former French Open boys’ singles champion Alexei Popyrin, before thrashing the struggling Joao Sousa 6-3 6-0. Salvatore Caruso, meanwhile, enjoyed a largely positive spell in the United States, even if it was tarnished by the 0-6 4-6 0-6 hammering he suffered at the hands of Rublev in the last 32 at the US Open.
But he has not enjoyed much success at the ATP Rome Masters, having failed to win a match in three previous appearances. That said, he has improved significantly since he last played at the Foro Italico back in 2018, when he lost in the first round of qualifying, and is currently at a career-high world #87. Sandgren, however, will have the advantage of having already played twice on the clay this week, which could well prove to be decisive.
Prediction: Sandgren in 3
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Miomir Kecmanovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-head: Kecmanovic 1-0 Nishioka
Yoshihito Nishioka has underperformed on the clay so far in his career. In fact his only win at ATP-level on this surface came against Mackenzie McDonald, with the American hardly a clay-courter of great renown. Miomir Kecmanovic, meanwhile, arrives at the ATP Rome Masters having just won his first ATP title on the clay in Kitzbuhel. On paper, then, he should be the heavy favourite heading into this match. But his exploits in Kitzbuhel will surely have drained him of energy and he will also have to adapt from playing at altitude to sea-level. Expect Nishioka to pull off the upset here.
Prediction: Nishioka in 2
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Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: first meeting
This battle of the one-handed backhands should be well-worth watching. It is Stan Wawrinka who will have the advantage in terms experience, with the veteran Swiss having reached the final at the ATP Rome Masters in 2008 when Musetti was just six. Wawrinka was beaten on that day, but he has since claimed three Major titles, including the French Open in 2015, and will be the clear favourite to advance when he steps on to court to face Musetti.
Particularly after he went 7-0 at a pair of clay-court Challengers in Czechia late last month, with Wawrinka electing to sharpen up his game on the clay in preparation for Paris rather than travel to the United States. Musetti has also been playing on clay on the Challenger Tour, compiling a 9-3 record since the season resumed. And he does not lack confidence, with his ability to swing freely perhaps giving him the chance to trouble Wawrinka. But this is a match Wawrinka will not want to lose.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 2
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