ATP Masters in Rome, 1st round, Wednesday, 10.05.2023
One highlight chases the next! It’s great fun to be a tennis fan at the moment, because even before the eagerly awaited French Open, there are plenty of high-level tournaments on the schedule. Currently on offer: the Masters in Rome.
It’s clear that the local heroes want to shine there in particular, even if their best days are actually long gone. I watch in my Fognini Murray tip now a duel of the veterans and reveal why the Brit is ahead at Bwin, but I recommend several games to bet!
The preparations for the French Open 2023, they are running at full speed. Tennis lovers in the Italian capital will get their money’s worth in the next few days, because once again the famous Masters will take place in their home country.
A quick look at the history reveals: in the last 18 years, only TWICE has someone made it to the top of the podium whose name was not Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal! Incredibly, can that change again in 2023?
After all, the Spaniard is not competing here, but Djokovic is once again the absolute top favorite for the title. It’s also interesting to note that the other two winners are Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray.
I’ll deal with the Brit now for the 1st round, seven years ago he had prevailed in the final against the Djoker. Since then he has participated in this tournament only once, and that with extremely manageable success.
2017 he failed right at the beginning after a walk-through. His opponent: Fabio Fognini, of all people! Eight times both have already met directly, both have four victories each.
However, the duel has not taken place for almost four years, so the race should be relatively open. Or is it? According to our betting providers, Murray has the edge with an average of 1.40 to 2.90.
So what is Murray’s current form like, is he coming into a strong phase just in time for the next Grand Slam? After failing directly in the 1st rounds in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid, he decided to participate in a Challenger.
On French soil, he gained a lot of confidence, especially his performance in the final was really strong. After a 2-6 first set against top seed Tommy Paul, he really turned it on, winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the end!
It was his first title on clay since spring 2016, which he of course celebrated extensively. He is now ranked No. 42 in the world, several places ahead of his opponent Fabio Fognini. The 35-year-old is now ranked beyond the top 100, looking for his form.
He was last seen on court over a month ago, when he lost to Marco Cecchinato in Estoril. Not once this year has he managed two wins in the same tournament, with a measly two victories in total.
The world number 130 has been serving in Rome for almost 20 years, with a quarterfinal from 2018 being his best showing. Back then, he beat Dominic Thiem, but then lost in three sets to Rafael Nadal.
Last year, he managed to get past the first hurdle (he also lost to Thiem), but his opponent at the time was only ranked 162nd in the world. That is now completely different with Andy Murray.
My Fognini Murray Tip
Both Andy Murray and Fabio Fognini bring nearly two decades of experience to the court. While the Italian can’t seem to repeat his best days, old form regularly sprouts up in Murray.
The Brit won’t let it get him down, and that’s exactly what he’ll be looking to show in Rome. Of course, we’ve registered his latest Challenger title, but he rarely looks so confident. So I think we’ll see a close match and enter the following:
We’ll see more than 21.5 Games!
