Some of the first round action at the 2023 Italian Open will see Lorenzo Sonego take on Jeremy Chardy and Diego Schwartzman v Matteo Arnaldi. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head to head for these matches along with Hugo Dellien v Roberto Carballes Baena and Albert Ramos Vinolas v Francesco Passaro.
Lorenzo Sonego v Jeremy Chardy Preview
Head-to-Head: Their only previous meeting came on the Challenger circuit in 2019 where Sonego had won in three sets.
Sonego has won a mere two of the five matches he’s played on clay this season which includes a first round defeat in Madrid two weeks ago. The only silver(ish) lining to that was he went down to Jan-Lennard Struff, the eventual finalist who even took the world number two Carlos Alcaraz to three sets.
That’s not to say Sonego’s form hasn’t been worrying. He has struggled to win on clay and the defeats have been rather one-sided.
The good news for the Italian player is he will be up against a 36-year-old who has fallen 635th in the world after missing the entirety of the previous season. This year, Chardy has featured in only three matches and lost two.
Sonego should hold a huge edge here.
Sonego v Chardy Tip
Sonego to win in straight sets: 1/2
Diego Schwartzman v Matteo Arnaldi Preview
Head-to-Head: The 72nd-ranked Schwartzman and world number 105 Arnaldi have never faced off in a competitive match before this.
Not so long ago, Schwartzman was ranked eighth in the world. A consistent run of horrendous form has seen him fall to outside the top 70 and the worry is if he doesn’t get out of this losing stall, the Argentine might feel the need to either qualify for Grand Slams or hope for a wildcard.
This has been due to his lack of wins overall but largely thanks to his form on clay. Schwartzman is a clay-court specialist and for him to have played in eight ATP and one Challenger competitions and win just two matches is simply shocking.
Which is why when he takes on Arnaldi here it’s his opponent who starts off a favourite. Why wouldn’t he, after all Arnaldi is coming off a title win at the Murcia Challenger, a second round entry at the Barcelona Open and third round in Madrid – both those as a qualifier.
Schwartzman v Arnaldi Tip
Arnaldi to win: 3/5
Roberto Carballes Baena v Hugo Dellien v Preview
Head-to-Head: There have been two previous matches between these two players, both of which came in 2019 and on clay. Both players have won one apiece.
Less than a year ago, Dellien was ranked 64th in the world thanks to his reasonably decent showing on clay but come the second half of the season, the Bolivian player had to take a break from the circuit.
As a result when he returned this season, Dellien was left to do a lot and he failed to defend a lot of his points from the last year and fell to 132nd in the world. A title win at the Santiago Challenger did help him break into the top 100 but he hasn’t played much since then.
Which is why, an in-form Carballes Baena will go into this match as a favourite. Sure, the Spaniard lost in the very first round at the Munich Open but did not go beyond round two in Madrid but he has already won a title on clay this season. That helped him break into the top 50 for the first time in his career.
And even in those defeats, Carballes Baena hasn’t looked like a pushover. Expecting a straight-set win for Carballes Baena here.
Dellien v Carballes Baena Tip
Carballes Baena to win in straight sets: 6/4
Albert Ramos Vinolas v Francesco Passaro Preview
Head-to-Head: No previous matches have been played between Ramos Vinolas and Passaro before this.
It’s been a kind of a season that Ramos Vinolas would love to forget in a hurry. Sure he is 35 years old and might not have a lot of tennis left in him, but even then, the Spaniard would probably want the year to end quickly.
Or for Ramos Vinolas to start winning some more.
Like he did against Ilya Ivashka at the Madrid Masters after having fallen a set behind – his first win in eight tournaments. Overall this season, Ramos Vinolas is 5-9 on clay, a surface he absolutely cherishes playing on.
Which is why he doesn’t start a favourite against a player ranked 60 places behind him too. Passaro hasn’t had much going for him either, having lost three in a row before this encounter.
Overall though, his form on clay has looked way better than Ramos-Vinolas and that’s why he starts off a 4/5 favourite. On our part, we reckon Ramos Vinolas could still edge his opponent out here.
Ramos Vinolas v Passaro Tip
Ramos Vinolas to win: 1/1
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The 2023 Italian Open will be played from May 9 to 21. Get our ultimate guide on tennis betting and predictions here.
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