ATP Masters in Toronto, 2nd Round, Wednesday, 09.08.2023
Will it be business as usual at the Masters in Toronto or will one or two surprise players be able to place far in front? There is certainly no shortage of stars at the first major tournament in the second half of the hard court season.
In the case of the duel I will now analyse in detail, both sides are represented, as the world number 19 meets a qualifier.
Why does Bet365 expect a very close match and why do I still bet on the favourite? I’ll reveal that now in my Musetti Kokkinakis tip!
He can do everything, is capable of winning against any opponent – just not on every day! Lorenzo Musetti’s potential is undeniably great, but the 21-year-old still has a long way to go in terms of consistency.
In 2023, he has already beaten some greats, including Novak Djokovic, but at the same time he is not immune to defeats against outsiders. After losing to Hubert Hurcacz in the 3rd round of Wimbledon, he played in Bastad and Hamburg.
First he was beaten by Casper Ruud, then by Laslo Djere, so with mediocre results he finally travelled to Toronto. There, a match against Yoshihito Nishioka awaited him in the 1st round.
Those hoping for a long match with many rallies were quickly disappointed. 6-4, 6-1 with 86% won points on first serve, no break surrendered and not a single double fault, these statistics are something to be proud of.
The 21-year-old is making his debut at the Masters in Canada this year. His opening win against Nishioka was also so strong because he demonstrated Italian nerve.
Both players had to wait longer for the start due to heavy rainfall, which obviously didn’t hurt Musetti at all. For the first time in his career, he now faces a duel with Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Although the world No. 19 is well ahead of the Australian in the rankings, who is looking at No. 86, the bookmakers see good odds for a close, even match in our 2023 bettor rankings.
A 1.65 meets a 2.20 average should suit the tight underdog! Due to his high ranking, Thanasi Kokkinakis already had to play in the qualifiers, but he was convincing all the way.
After a hard-fought 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 against Borna Gojo, he also beat Constant Lestienne, winning 7-5, 6-3. Now he had made it to the main draw, where Zhizhen Zhang was waiting, a player who has been very unpleasant these weeks.
But
Kokkinakis held his nerve, secured a 7-5, 6-4 and is now through to Round 2. He didn’t give the Chinese player a single chance to break, winning an incredible 100% of points on first serve!
The Masters in Toronto is already his fourth tournament on hard court, so Kokkinakis should already be well practised on this surface. However, he is still waiting to collect two victories in a row.
It was nine years ago that the 27-year-old last appeared in the main draw of the current tournament (and also for the first time), so he has already managed to record his best result.
My Musetti Kokkinakis Tip
Which face will Lorenzo Musetti and Thanasi Kokkinakis show in their direct duel on Wednesday? Both players can annoy anyone on a good day, but on a bad day they can completely forget how tennis is actually played.
Musetti was very convincing at the start, Kokkinakis, on the other hand, has already played three close matches, including qualifying. In my eyes, the individual class clearly speaks for the Italian, which is why I can only come to the following bet:
Musetti wins against Kokkinakis!
