ATP Masters in Rome, 1st round, Wednesday, 07.05.2025, 11:00 a.m.
The German men’s tennis team is not exactly covering itself in glory at the moment. So there are high hopes for the Masters in Rome. Daniel Altmaier is also looking to get back on track in the Eternal City.
However, he faces a very tough opponent in the first round, one who I think has the edge in a direct comparison. In my Altmaier Comesana tip, I’ll tell you why I think the Argentine will win.
The transition from hard court to clay isn’t easy for everyone. The best players have been back on the red clay for a few weeks now. From a German perspective, however, the results have left something to be desired.
Daniel Altmaier got started about five weeks ago in Marrakesh, losing straight away to Otto Virtanen. In Monte Carlo, he made it through qualifying and celebrated two victories against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Richard Gasquet.
No one could blame him for his clear defeat against Carlos Alcaraz (3-6, 1-6). After his round of 16 exit in Munich against Alexander Zverev, the 26-year-old wanted to impress in Madrid.
A plan that failed miserably. He already struggled in qualifying against Daniel Elahi Galan and Luca Van Assche, and ultimately had no chance against Nicolas Jarry in the first round, losing 3-6, 2-6.
Altmaier has now traveled to Rome with mixed feelings, not really knowing where he stands. Will his opening opponent suit him better than Jarry did in Madrid? In that match, the German didn’t stand a chance and didn’t even have a break point.
Jarry, a two-meter giant, was not Altmaier’s cup of tea at all. Francisco Comesana is a completely different type of player. I don’t expect the 1.78-meter Argentine to win 95% of his first serves, as was the case with Jarry.
The two players met for the first and only time at this year’s Australian Open, and the spectators got their money’s worth. 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, at the end of a real thriller, the German won.
Incidentally, Altmaier is competing in Rome for the third time, but with only one win overall, his record is not particularly impressive. And now he also has the odds against him, as our PayPal bookmakers are offering average odds of 2.00 to 1.80.
Francisco Comesana, who is playing in the Eternal City for the first time ever, has overtaken Altmaier in the world rankings. He is currently ranked 63rd, while his opponent is ranked 71st.
Is Comesana like many Argentinians, who simply love playing on clay? In Madrid, he was defeated in the third round by his compatriot Francisco Cerundolo, but had previously caused an upset with a victory over Arthur Fils.
Admittedly, the 24-year-old still has a few wobbles, and early exits, sometimes even in qualifying, are not uncommon. Nevertheless, he consistently plays some really strong tournaments, which is exactly what Altmaier lacks.
In Rio, for example, he knocked out Alexander Zverev and reached the semi-finals. Interestingly, those four matches featured an incredible twelve sets and six tiebreaks! Close results are the order of the day for him.
In Madrid, he played three sets, but the scores were 6-4, 6-4, then 7-6, 6-4 and 4-6, 4-6, which are by no means clear-cut results. The right-hander’s motto is: fight until the last ball is played.
When he was on court against Alexander Zverev in Rio, he came back from 1-4 down in the second set to win the match. Daniel Altmaier doesn’t have those killer qualities at the moment.
My Altmaier Comesana tip
What are the German chances of strong results at the Masters in Rome? Daniel Altmaier has hardly been able to reach his potential in recent weeks, and Francisco Comesana is a damn tough opponent for the current first round.
The Argentine fights hard in his matches and repeatedly hurts the big names. After his victory over Arthur Fils in Madrid, I therefore see the Argentine as having a slight advantage and predict:
Comesana wins against Altmaier!
