The ATP Tour returns to the Italian capital for the 2022 ATP Rome Masters. 56 men are looking to capture the trophy and 1000 ranking points in what is the last big tournament before Roland Garros. The stars will be out in Rome on day two and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Karen Khachanov vs Giulio Zeppieri, Lorenzo Sonego vs Denis Shapovalov and Fabio Fognini vs Dominic Thiem. But who will advance?
ATP Rome Day 2 Predictions
Alexander Bublik vs Marcos Giron
Head-to-head: Bublik 1-0 Giron
Alexander Bublik and lucky loser Marcos Giron will square off in the first round with both players looking for their first main draw win in Rome. Neither player counts clay as their best surface, with Bublik is 1-3 on the surface this season and Giron holding a 1-6 record on clay in 2022. Something must give here as a result. Bublik won the only previous meeting between the two 3-6 6-3 7-6 last season in Cincinnati and he should have the edge once again. After all, Giron’s only clay-court win this season came against World #707.
Prediction: Bublik in 3
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Albert Ramos Vinolas vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Paul 1-0 Ramos Vinolas
Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas and American Tommy Paul will meet for the second time on tour and first time on clay here in the first round at the ATP Rome Masters. Paul, who is currently ranked 35th in the world, is in desperate need of a win to raise his chances of being seeded in Paris at the end of the month. The 24-year-old American is just 1-3 on the clay this season. His opponent, Albert Ramos Vinolas, is a clay-court specialist holding a career-winning percentage of 55.2% on the surface. He made a semifinal run in Estoril before being bounced out of Madrid in the first round last week. This one should be a battle between two strong baseline players. Expect this to go the distance, with the veteran Spaniard’s comfort on the clay being the difference.
Prediction: Ramos Vinolas in 3
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Pablo Carreno Busta vs Federico Delbonis
Head-to-head: Delbonis 5-3 Carreno Busta
15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta can not seem to get out of his own way after once again falling after having multiple match points last week in Madrid. With that said, the experienced Spaniard did make a run to the final in Barcelona in late April. His opponent, Federico Delbonis, has struggled mightily of late. The Argentine is just 1-8 since mid-February having dropped six of those matches in straight sets. Delbonis has had problems with his first-serve and, against a player who returns as well as Carreno Busta, that will be a real weakness.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
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Stan Wawrinka vs Reilly Opelka
Head-to-head: Opelka 1-0 Wawrinka
Three-time Grand Slam Champion Stan Wawrinka is trying to work his way back onto the tour after missing a year due to injury. He is 0-2 since his return in March. Reilly Opelka is looking to pick up his first win of the European clay-court swing having lost his last two matches after winning the title in Houston in early April. When in form, Wawrinka is very tough to beat on clay. With that said, the 37-year-old seems to be on his last legs and faces an uphill battle against world #17 Reilly Opelka. With the style of play from the American, match fitness should not be of concern for Wawrinka. Breaking one of the bests serves on the tour will be the priority, something that the slow courts of Rome should help with. But though Wawrinka does not lack heart, Opelka is simply the better player of the two at this moment.
Prediction: Opelka in 2
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