Some of the first round action at the 2023 Italian Open will see Arthur Rinderknech take on Flavio Cobolli and Alexander Bublik play Pedro Martinez. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head to head for these matches along with Marcos Giron v Roman Safiullin and Christopher O’Connell v Alexei Popyrin.
Arthur Rinderknech v Flavio Cobolli Preview
Head-to-Head: The two have never met previously
After an excellent run in 2022, Arthur Rinderknech has struggled big time in 2023. The Frenchman comes to the Rome Masters with a 2-7 season record on the tour. He is 5-9 overall, including Challenger and qualifying matches.
Because of his woeful performances this season, the Frenchman has seen a constant decline in the rankings, falling 45 places since the start of the year. Currently ranked no. 89, Rinderknech’s best performance this year came at the Pau Challenger, where he was a semifinalist. He will be playing his first match on clay this season. It will also be the first time when Rinderknech plays in Rome.
It will be interesting to see if he can begin with a win as he will be taking on a player who has played a lot on clay this season and is into the main draw as a qualifier.
Local hope Flavio Cobolli made it to the main draw with a come-from-behind three-set win over Emilio Nava in the second qualifying round on Tuesday. The world no. 183 had won the first qualifying round against Nikoloz Basilashvili, after the Georgian was forced to retire while trailing 2-5 in the first set.
Coboli is 20-13 across levels this year and that includes a 16-9 record on clay. He will be playing in Rome for the second time. Last year he lost in the first round.
His best performance on the tour this year was a quarterfinal finish in Munich, while at the Challenger level, he was a semifinalist in Zadar and Rome-2 challengers.
Arthur Rinderknech v Flavio Cobolli Tip
Cobolli has been in good form on clay and despite being the lower ranked player he will be expected to start with a win. Cobolli to win in straight sets: 4/5
Alexander Bublik v Pedro Martinez Preview
Head-to-Head: Martinez leads 1-0, having won their only meeting in Estoril in 2021.
Alexander Bublik will be making his fourth main draw appearance in Rome but the Kazakh is yet to win a match at the Italian Open.
Bublik is 9-17 overall this year and 3-4 on clay courts. However, things have been tough for world no. 49 on the tour as he has a 5-15 season record at the tour level. Bublik’s best this season was a run to the semifinals in Marseille and he was a quarterfinalist in two Challenger tournaments in Phoenix and Aix en Provence last week.
Bublik was 2-6 on clay last year and 4-6 on the surface in 2021. So, overall he has found the going tough on clay and may struggle in Rome as well.
Facing Bublik in the first round will be Pedro Martinez, who made it to the main draw with a straight sets drubbing of Francesco Maestrelli in the second qualifying round on Tuesday. The Spaniard had won the first qualifying round against another Italian Andrea Vavassori in three sets.
The qualifying round wins ended Martinez’s six-match losing streak, across levels. His best performance on the tour this year was a last eight finish in Pune, while overall his best was a semifinal finish in the Girona Challenger.
Like Bublik, Martinez too has been poor on the tour this year and a 4-10 record is a reflection of that. Ranked no. 142, he will be playing in Rome for the third time with an aim of reaching the second round for the second time.
Alexander Bublik v Pedro Martinez Tip
Both players are struggling on the tour this year. So this will be an interesting matchup. Bublik will hold slight edge in this contest. The Kazakh to win in three sets: 5/4
Marcos Giron v Roman Safiullin Preview
Head-to-Head: This will be a first meeting between the two.
World no. 60 Marcos Giron has been in decent form this year, having featured in four quarterfinals on the tour. The American has a 12-11 record this season and he is 4-3 on clay.
Giron has not lost a first round match on clay this year. He fell in the second round in Houston, reached the quarterfinals in Munich and then went down in the second round in Madrid.
Apart from the last eight finish in Munich, Giron was also a quarterfinalist in Auckland, Dallas and Delray Beach. Giron will be playing in Rome for the second time. Last year, on his debut, he won the first two rounds but went down in round three.
Meeting Giron in the opening round in Rome will be Roman Safiullin, who qualified for the main draw with back-to-back straight set wins in the qualifying rounds. The Russian ousted João Sousa 6-1, 6-3 on Monday and then knocked out Vit Kopriva 6-2, 7-6 in the second qualifier on Tuesday.
Safiullin is 18-12 overall this year and 6-3 on clay. But the bulk of his wins have come in qualifying rounds or Challenger tournaments. When it comes to the main draw matches on the tour, Safiullin has a 3-7 record.
Ranked no.103, Safiullin’s best this year saw him win the Koblenz Challenger on indoor court. He will be making his debut in Rome this year. Can he make a solid start?
Marcos Giron v Roman Safiullin Tip
Expect this to be a close contest, with Giron knocking out the Russian in three sets: 3/1
Christopher O’Connell v Alexei Popyrin Preview
Head-to-Head:They have never met previously
In an all-Australian first round contest in Rome, world no. 78 Christopher O’Connell will lock horns with qualifier Alexei Popyrin, ranked no. 77 in the world.
Both will be making their main draw debuts in Rome. But it’s O’Connell, who will hold slight edge, as he has been in wonderful form recently. O’Connell is 9-4 on clay, across levels. He was a semifinalist in Munich, where he accounted for Alexander Zverev in the second round. He was also a quarterfinalist in Marrakech and a semifinalist at the Split Challenger.
The 28-year-old is currently sitting on a career-high ranking of no. 78 and will be hoping to make a bright start in Rome.
Popyrin on the other hand brings a 20-14 season record and 7-4 clay court record to Rome. But most of those wins have come either at the Challenger level or the qualifying rounds. Popyrin’s latest victories came in the qualifying rounds in Rome. He defeated Italy’s Riccardo Bonadio in three sets on Monday and then defeated another Italian, Andrea Pellegrino, 6-0, 7-6 in the second qualifying round on Tuesday to make it to the main draw.
Popyrin’s best performance this year was a quarterfinal finish in Adelaide. He also reached two quarterfinals at the Challenger level.
Christopher O’Connell v Alexei Popyrin Tip
O’Connell has been in brilliant form on clay this season and he could carry that to Rome. O’Connell to win in threes sets: 6/4
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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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