ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1/64-Finals
Bautista-Agut – Munar: Time TBA
H2H: 2-1
Roberto Bautista-Agut has lost three of his last five matches. Last week in Munich, he lost in the opening round against Van de Zandschulp in three tight sets. Last season in Madrid, the Spaniard lost to Khachanov in the second round in three sets.
Jaume Munar has lost four of his last five matches. Last week in Barcelona, Munar lost in straight sets in the 1/8-Finals against Khachanov. The Spaniard also lost in the second round against Struff in Madrid last season.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Munar is the favourite in this matchup, and we agree. Munar is a clay-court specialist and is in better form than Bautista-Agut. Last season at the French Open under similar conditions, Munar dominated against Bautista-Agut. We expect a similar outcome this week as well.
That being said, Munar winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Jaume Munar winning 2-0 @2.20 @bet365
Bergs – Nishioka: Time TBA
H2H: first meeting
Zizou Bergs has lost three of his last five matches. Last week in Munich, Bergs reached the quarterfinals, losing against Marozsan in straight sets. In his debut campaign in Madrid last season, Bergs lost in the opening round against van Assche.
Yoshihito Nishioka has lost three of his last five matches. His last match was in Miami over a month ago, and his last clay-court match was around a year ago. Last season in Madrid, Nishioka lost in the opening round against Auger-Aliassime in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Bergs is the favourite in this matchup, and we agree. He had a solid run last week in Munich. On the other hand, Nishioka usually underperforms on clay courts. He retired during his last match, and we are not sure if he will be fully fit for this matchup.
That being said, Bergs winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Zizou Bergs winning 2-0 @1.80 @bet365
Bonzi – Cilic: Time TBA
H2H: 0-1
Benjamin Bonzi has lost four straight matches. Last week in Barcelona, Bonzi failed to qualify for the main draw tournament. His last win was over a month ago in Cap Cana on hard court. So far this season, Bonzi played two clay court matches and lost both.
Marin Cilic has won four of his last five matches. Last week in Madrid, Cilic played at the Challenger tournament, reaching the final. He stayed in Madrid and prepared for the upcoming Masters 1000 tournament. Cilic was granted a wild card this week in Madrid.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Cilic is the slight favourite in this matchup, and we agree. He spent the last couple of weeks playing in Spain on clay. At that time, Cilic won the Challenger title in Girona and reached the final in Madrid last week. On the other hand, Bonzi underperforms on clay courts and has not had any remarkable results on clay this season. We expect Cilic to dominate and win easily.
That being said, Cilic winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marin Cilic winning 2-0 @1.83 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
