ATP 250 Auckland 1/16-Finals
Diallo – Sonego: 05.01.2025 Time TBA
H2H: first meeting
Gabriel Diallo has won three of his last five matches. This week in Hong Kong, Gabriel successfully qualified for the main draw tournament. However, he failed in the opening main draw round against Musetti in straight sets. In Auckland, Diallo was granted a wild card. Gabriel hopes for a solid result this week to get closer to the top 80 in the rankings. Last year, the young Canadian played mostly at the Challenger Tour level, where he had decent success. The Canadian thrives on fast courts like this one.
Lorenzo Sonego has lost three of his last five matches. This week in Hong Kong, Sonego lost against Norrie in the tournament’s second round. The young Italian hopes for a solid result this week to return to the top 50 in the rankings. Last season, besides winning the title in Winston-Salem, Lorenzo has not had any remarkable results. Around this time last year, Sonego played in Adelaide, losing against Korda in the second round.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this should be a 50-50 match. Sonego usually plays his best tennis on clay courts. On the other hand, Diallo loves to play aggressive tennis on fast courts like this one. We expect Diallo to dominate from the start and win this match.
That being said, Diallo winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Gabriel Diallo winning @1.91 @bet365
Martinez – Monfils: 05.01.2025 Time TBA
H2H: 1-1
Pedro Martinez has lost four of his last five matches. The Spaniard reached the second round this week in Hong Kong, losing against Shang in straight sets. Being a Spaniard, Pedro had his most significant results on clay courts. His last title was in Valencia on clay in October last year. Last season on hard courts, Martinez finished as a runner-up in Tenerife, losing against Nakashima in the final. Other than that, Pablo exited mainly in the opening stages of the tournaments. Around this time last year, he played in the qualifying tournament of the Australian Open, losing in the first qualifying round to Passaro in straight sets.
Gael Monfils has lost three of his last five matches. Gael reached the second round this week in Brisbane, losing against Djokovic in straight sets. The Frenchman holds a 0-20 losing record against Novak. Gael turns 39 this year and will probably retire by the end of this season. Last season, Monfils had some solid results on the biggest stage. He always performs his best tennis in the early stages of the tournaments when he is still fresh and ready. Last year in Auckland, Gael lost his opening match against Marozsan in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Monfils is the favorite in this match, and we agree. We expect him to be well-rested for his opening match against Martinez. Gael loves to play in Australia, and with the crowd on his side, we believe this will be an easy job for the Frenchman.
That being said, Monfils winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Gael Monfils winning 2-0 @1.91 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
