ATP Masters in Rome, Round of 16, Tuesday, 16.05.2023
For once, the tennis experts agree: It’s just incredible fun to watch the German men at the moment! Although Alexander Zverev is still looking for form, his colleagues are really turning up the heat.
A qualifier has reached the last 16 for the first time at the Masters in Rome and has already beaten a big player.
He may be the underdog again at Bwin, but why not repeat the sensation? In my Rublev Hanfmann tip, I reveal why I can imagine some games here!
Jan-Lennard Struff in the final in Madrid, Daniel Altmaier with really good performances – and now Yannick Hanfmann?! The German tennis players are on the rise and of course they want to show that in Rome.
Hanfmann had to start in the qualifying in the Eternal City, but showed his best side there. 6-4, 7-6 against Julian Ocleppo and 6-4, 6-4 against Hugo Grenier. Although it was close, he was on the spot in the decisive moments.
In the 1st round of the main draw Nicolas Jerry was waiting. Here, too, Hanfmann came to a far from boring result, putting his rival in his place with a 6-4, 6-4. After that, the absolute hammer opponent awaited him.
Taylor Fritz had been rated much higher, but Hanfmann managed one of the best matches of his career. The German won 6-4, 6-1, converting all his five break chances and allowing only one of Fritz’s two opportunities.
A little later, Hanfmann had to prove himself against local hero Marco Cecchinato. It developed into a highly intense match, and in the end the 31-year-old had his nose in front with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
This time, he was less consistent in making the most of his break chances, four out of 17 are not exactly an outstanding yield. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that he has now reached the last 16, which should not even surprise everyone.
Hanfmann was already strong in Madrid, even beat Lorenzo Musetti and only failed in the 3rd round against Daniel Altmaier. And that as a player who always has to struggle through the qualifying rounds at the Masters.
Hanfmann is currently ranked 101, but his current good tournament will lead to him breaking the top 100 soon. He already knows how it feels to play against a great like Andrey Rublev.
The first and so far only direct duel took place at the Australian Open 2021, which the favourite won with a clear 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Our betting providers therefore also see the Russian in the lead on Tuesday.
The odds show 1.30 to 3.30, but that doesn’t sound like a match of the category David against Goliath! Rublev should also have noticed that Hanfmann is in a really good mood at the moment.
The Russian has only played two matches in Rome, a 6-3, 6-4 against Alex Molcan and a 7-6, 6-3 against Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina. After his title win in Monte Carlo, he actually wanted to continue winning seamlessly.
In Serbia, he surprisingly lost the final against Dusan Lajovic, and the early exit in the round of 16 in Madrid against Karen Khachanov was all the more surprising. He does not want to go home that early now.
Two years ago, he did best in the Eternal City, reaching a quarter-final against Lorenzo Sonego. Is it a good omen that Jan-Lennard Struff, another player in black, red and gold, was beaten?
My Rublev Hanfmann tip
Yannick Hanfmann has followed his German colleagues in the best possible league in recent weeks, and his performances have finally been consistently good. In Rome, we were particularly impressed by his success against Taylor Fritz.
He has only lost one set including the qualifier, so why shouldn’t he be able to upset Andrey Rublev? The Russian is known for his occasional weaknesses. That’s why I think it will be a close match:
We see more than 20,5 games!
