After Casper Ruud won his first Masters 1000 title in Madrid, the ATP tTur moves to Rome for the last clay Masters 1000 of the season. The first round begins Wednesday without the seeds, yet still with plenty of interesting matchups in prospect in what should be a great day of tennis in the Italian capital to kickstart the tournament.
ATP Rome Day 1 Predictions
Jordan Thompson vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Head-to-head: Thompson 4-0 Perricard
Thompson has won all four matches and all eight sets between the pair–two of them this year at Masters 1000 level, in Miami and Monte Carlo. While Mpetshi Perricard’s huge serve is effective on faster surfaces, the same doesn’t seem to be the case on slower surfaces for now, and even if Thompson himself struggles on clay he should have a clear edge when it comes to returning and rallying and this match could well pan out in a similar way to their Monte Carlo encounter.
Prediction: Thompson in 2
Jiri Lehecka vs Alexandre Muller
Head-to-head: Lehecka 2-0 Muller
Both Lehecka and Muller had strong starts to the season but have been struggling to get wins in recent tournaments, so they will be looking to gain some momentum back here in Rome. While Muller is a solid player, Lehecka seems to have a clearly higher upside and if he plays anywhere close to his best level he should prevail here.
Prediction: Lehecka in 2
Yunchaokete Bu vs Luciano Darderi
Head-to-head: first meeting
Darderi started the clay season amazingly, with a title in Marrakech, but he hasn’t been able to maintain that level since. Now playing at home in Rome he theoretically has a very nice first round draw as he should be able to overcome Bu on a slow clay court. Under normal circumstances, Darderi should pull through here in relatively straightforward fashion.
Prediction: Darderi in 2
Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-to-head: first meeting
Carreno Busta is a former Top 10 player with several good Slam runs and a Masters 1000 title, but he has really been struggling to get back to his best after injury. He actually lost in qualifying here but has been given a second chance, albeit against a good opponent on clay like Ugo Carabelli. It should be a very close match, with lots of gruelling rallies and decided by who executes better in key points.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
