We have reached the final clay court Masters 1000 event as ATP Rome welcomes a 96-man draw to its grounds. The clay court season is in full swing as players try to fine-tune their game ahead of the 2024 French Open. Day 1 action kicks off with some phenomenal action, including Gael Monfils vs Thiago Monteiro. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for all matches around the grounds of Rome. But who will advance?
ATP Rome Day 1 Predictions
Arthur Rinderknech vs Francesco Passaro
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Arthur Rinderknech squares off against 23-year-old Italian qualifier Francesco Passaro in Round 1 at ATP Rome. Rinderknech is just 3-5 on the dirt this year but should sense a golden opportunity against the No. 240 ranked player. Passaro battled past two top 130 players in qualies and will look to engage the crowd for support on Wednesday. That said, the Frenchman has more tools in his bag and should be able to use that variety to his advantage.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 3
Alex Michelsen vs Pavel Kotov
Head-to-Head: first meeting
19-year-old American Alex Michelsen has had a solid season in his first full year on the tour. Unfortunately, his fortunes have not been as kind on the clay. He is just 1-5 on the dirt, with his lone victory coming over the 473rd-ranked player in the world. Pavel Kotov is a strong clay-courter and reached the third round of the Madrid Masters last week. He should be able to extend rallies and neutralize Michelsen’s power.
Prediction: Kotov in 3
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-Head: Kecmanovic 1-0 Nakashima
Brandon Nakashima has been working his way back from a knee injury this season and has played just 11 tour-level main draw matches. The 22-year-old American has shown promise on the clay but has traditionally been a better hardcourt player. Miomir Kecmanovic is 3-4 on the dirt this season but has battled against the world’s best. Look for Kecmanovic to use variety to push Nakashima around the court and put his fitness to the test at ATP Rome.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 3
Gael Monfils vs Thiago Monteiro
Head-to-Head: Monfils 1-2 Monteiro
Surprisingly, Thiago Monteiro holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against Gael Monfils. However, they have not met on the clay in over six years. The Brazilian cruised through qualifying and is coming off the Madrid Masters, where he reached the third round, including a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Monfils is 2-3 on the dirt this year and has struggled with consistency. Monteiro is not a guy you want to play when you are not in form. Look for the lefty to defend well from the corners and try unleashing counterpunches. I’ll back the upset here.
Prediction: Monteiro in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
