Top seed Dominic Thiem of Austria will play in his first match since the 2020 Australian Open final, when he faces Brazilian wildcard Felipe Meligeni Alves in the first round of Rio Open on Tuesday, February 18. The match can be expected to be scheduled at the end of the day’s play on Monday and you can find the Dominic Thiem v Felipe Meligeni Alves live streaming options along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
Looking to watch the Dominic Thiem v Felipe Meligeni Alves live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Also get all the information how to buy tennis tickets with our guide here
[the_ad id=”14063″]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Dominic Thiem v Felipe Meligeni Alves Head to Head
This will be a first career meeting between these two players.
Thiem Overwhelming Favorite to Win in Rio
Dominic Thiem is set to return to action for the first time since suffering a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic at the 2020 Australian Open. The Austrian will lead the field at the Rio Open as the the top-seeded player and he is the bookies’ odds-on favorite to win a second crown at the tournament.
Thiem won the Rio Open in 2017 without dropping a set, however, he was beaten in the first round last year suprisingly by Laslo Djere who went on to win the title.
The 26-year-old is viewed as the second-best player on clay and he has long been touted as the heir to Nadal’s throne at Roland Garros. But after making the finals of the French open twice and losing to the greatest clay-court player of all-time, Thiem’s chances of winning the biggest trophies have come elsewhere.
In 2019, he won his first Masters 1000 title on the hard courts of Indian Wells to go with the triumphs in Vienna and Beijing. And at the Nitto ATP Finals he came very close to capture the biggest title of his career, but ended up losing to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitispas.
Also Read:
Little Known Meligeni Alves Has Tennis Roots
Felipe Meligeni Alves is a 21-year-old Brazilian who is currently sitting at career-high ranking of World No.317, and he comes very much from a tennis family.
Felipe’s uncle Fernando Meligeni is a former player who won three singles titles and reached the semifinals of the 1999 French Open. He is regarded as one of the finest tennis players to come from Brazil having peaked at a career-high ranking of No.25.
Felipe’s older sister Carolina Meligeni Alves is a also a tennis player who has featured predominantly on the ITF circuit.
Meligeni Alves reached the semifinals at Punta Del Este Challenger in Uruguay at the start of February, a run which almost certainly earned him a wildcard entry at this week’s Rio Open.
Dominic Thiem v Felipe Meligeni Alves Predictions & Tips
Thiem has a very kind draw this week and it is easier to see why he is odds-on to win the title. The other contenders have been involved in a heavy schedule to start February in Cordoba and Buenos Aires. Thiem’s extended break could be a blessing in disguise, and he should have too much for the 21-year-old wildcard.
Tip: Under 17.5 games: (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
You can watch & bet on Thiem v Meligeni Alves live on February 17 here. . Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
Be the first to comment