The ATP Masters 1000 Rome first round on May 7 offers a few appealing value angles. Qualifier Dalibor Svrcina arrives in strong form and looks well placed against the struggling Miomir Kecmanovic, while Christian Garin should benefit from his comfort on clay against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas showed encouraging signs in Madrid and could have the edge in a competitive clash with Tomas Machac.
ATP Masters 1000 Rome 1/64-Finals
Svrcina – Kecmanovic: 07.05.2026 11:00 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Dalibor Svrcina has won four of his last five matches. This week in Rome, Svrcina qualified for the main draw of the tournament. In the final qualifying round, the Czech defeated Budkov Kjaer in straight sets.
Miomir Kecmanovic has lost five straight matches. His last win was almost two months ago. Last week in Madrid, Kecmanovic lost to Atmane in the opening round in straight sets. Last season in Rome, the Serb lost to Griekspoor in the opening round in three sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this will be a 50-50 matchup, but we disagree. Kecmanovic is in terrible form and has lost all three clay-court matches he played this season. On the other hand, Svrcina dominated in the qualifying tournament against solid clay-court players.
That being said, Svrcina winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Dalibor Svrcina winning @1.91 @bet365
Garin – Cerundolo J.M.: 07.05.2026 15:30 CEST
H2H: 1-0
Christian Garin has won three of his last five matches. This week in Rome, Garin qualified for the main draw of the tournament. In the final qualifying round, the Chilean defeated Choinski in three sets. He was the quarterfinalist here in 2022.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo has lost three of his last five matches. Last week in Cagliari, Cerundolo lost to Arnaldi in the second round. Last season in Rome, the Argentine failed to qualify for the main draw.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Garin is the slight favourite in this matchup, and we agree. He had already had decent success in Rome and played well in the qualifying tournament. Earlier this season in Santiago under similar conditions, Garin won in three sets. We expect him to be a better player.
That being said, Garin winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Christian Garin winning @1.73 @bet365
Tsitsipas – Machac: 07.05.2026 15:00 CEST
H2H: 1-1
Stefanos Tsitsipas has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Madrid, Tsitsipas lost to Ruud in the 1/8-Finals in three tiebreaks. Last season in Madrid, the Greek lost to Fils in the third round in three sets.
Tomas Machac has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Madrid, Machac lost to Norrie in the second round, three tight sets to two. Last season in Rome, Machac lost to Paul in the third round in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this will be a 50-50 matchup, but we disagree. Tsitsipas has had decent results in Rome over the past few years. He showed glimpses of his best form last week in Madrid. We expect him to be a better player tomorrow.
That being said, Tsitsipas winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Stefanos Tsitsipas winning @1.73 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
