ATP Rome qualification final
Kukushkin – Schwartzman: 07.05.2024 Time TBA
H2H: 1-2
Mikhail Kukushkin has won three of his last five matches. At his first clay challenger tournament played on the clay, Kukushkin reached the semifinals where he had to retire mid-match against Napolitano. After that tournament, Kukushkin did not have any remarkable results. Today, Kukushkin played against Garin in the first qualification round. The 36-year-old Kazakhstani won in three tight sets after spending over three hours on the court. After such long matches on the clay, players usually need some time to rest. However, Mikhail needs to step up tomorrow on the court yet again.
Diego Schwartzman announced yesterday that he will retire in 2025. A 31-year-old Argentinian had some fitness issues and has not been the same player since 2022. He is still young though, but his decision was pretty clear. So far this season, Schwartzman has lost most of his matches. His ground strokes got shorter, and that is the main reason why he lost so many matches this year. Today in Rome, Schwartzman won in three sets against Ramos-Vinolas after spending almost three hours on the court. Before that, Schwartzman played a qualification tournament in Madrid where he lost in the first qualification round against Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets. That being said, this was a revenge game for him.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Schwartzman is just a slight favorite in this matchup. We believe that he will be more rested tomorrow, and based on that, he should win this match easily. Kukushkin is 36 years old, and every time he plays a longer match, Kukushkin needs a lot of time to get back to being fully fit.
That being said, Schwartzman winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Diego Schwartzman winning @1.58 @bet365
Passaro – Ajdukovic: 07.05.2024 Time TBA
H2H: 0-1
Francesco Passaro has lost three of his last five matches. Last week, Passaro played in the qualification tournament of Cagliari challenger where he lost against De Jong in three tough sets. Today, Passaro defeated Kovacevic in straight sets. He served great, getting 10 aces. So far this season, Passaro has played most of his matches on the clay courts. However, besides reaching the challenger semifinal in Naples, Passaro did not have any remarkable success.
Duje Ajdukovic has won three of his last five matches. Two weeks ago, Ajdukovic lost against Gasquet in straight sets. Besides reaching the challenger final in Quimper, Ajdukovic has not have any remarkable results so far. Today, Ajdukovic won against Piros in three sets after spending more than 2 hours on the court. Duje served well, and he looked comfortable on the court.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this should be a 50-50 match. We believe that Ajdukovic will fumble under pressure yet again. Passaro will have a crowd on his side, and we believe that he will win and qualify for the main draw.
That being said, Passaro winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Passaro winning @-114 @FanDuel
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
