Poland will take on Italy in the match between the two winners of the two Brisbane groups on Day 7 of the United Cup. Most matches in this tie seem to have a pretty clear favorite (if not overwhelming in two cases). Hubert Hurkacz against Matteo Berrettini doesn’t and it should be one of the most eye-catching battles on Wednesday’s United Cup schedule. Who will prevail?
United Cup Day 7 Predictions
Daniel Michalski vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: First meeting
Daniel Michalski has been playing better than his ranking at the ATP Cup so far, but he’s just not at the level required to beat most of the other No. 2 players. The Pole is also a hardcore clay-court specialist, not competing in a single match on another surface in 2022. Lorenzo Musetti has recently improved off-clay game and ought to be very comfortable here as Michalski doesn’t have much weaponry to hurt him with or rush his groundstrokes.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
Magda Linette vs Lucia Bronzetti
Head-to-head: First meeting
Magda Linette secured both wins for Poland so far, beating Jil Teichmann and Zhibek Kulambayeva. Particularly in the match against Switzerland, she showed some great ability to put blown leads behind her and keep going. These two are pretty close to each other in the WTA Rankings, but Bronzetti’s position is mostly built on that miracle Miami run. Linette should be the stronger player, especially with the confidence from her Teichmann win.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: Swiatek 2-1
Martina Trevisan beat Iga Swiatek at an ITF event in Warsaw five years ago, but the Pole had merely turned 16 just a month earlier. It’s been a different rivalry since and if they play many times more, the head-to-head probably won’t be competitive anymore. Trevisan could maybe have a shot here if they played on clay, but her hard-court game is far too weak to trouble the World No. 1. Swiatek has also performed at a much higher level thus far.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Hubert Hurkacz vs Matteo Berrettini
Head-to-head: Berrettini 2-1
All the other matches in this tie have a very clear favorite, this one’s basically a flip. Matteo Berrettini is yet to be broken so far and scored a very solid win over Casper Ruud. Hubert Hurkacz experienced some issues dispatching Alexander Bublik and Stan Wawrinka, but always stepped up when needed. Berrettini looked dominant in this rivalry in the semifinals at Wimbledon, but it’s much closer on hard courts. Prepare for a lot of easy service holds. Slight edge for the more complete player with no backhand vulnerability? Your guess is as good as mine.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
