In the Zone
Bellucci came straight from a CH title and made short work of Comesana...
Despite a short turnaround for Bellucci, he was the one who looked fresh and energetic. He was in complete control of the entire match, and I would say that the 6-4, 6-3 scoreline flatters Comesana... Bellucci was constantly rushing Comesana, and I can't even tell you a single thing from Comesana's game that worked well. I mentioned it in my preview for that match, but I don't find Comesana good at the moment, so while I thought it was a good performance from Bellucci, I want to keep in mind the level of Comesana! Munar had a good start to the year, and as everybody knows by now, he has looked a lot better in faster conditions. He has not been able to go deep in any of the last hardcourt tournaments, but he lost to a very good Fokina in Washington and had a long, tight three-set loss to F. Cerundolo in Toronto. His latest loss to Comesana in Cincinnati was disappointing, although he had his vital signs checked and was struggling in the heat. Now, he has had around 10 days of rest since that, and we can expect a good fight from him!
Bellucci gets to face a third counterpuncher after having lost to Dzumhur and beaten Comesana. I mentioned in my other preview that Dzumhur was more reliant on his tennis IQ and tactics, while Comesana was relying more on his athleticism (to counterpunch). So, which camp does Munar belong to? I would say I'd put him between the two, with a good balance of both. One of Bellucci's strengths is his explosiveness and athleticism, which completely negated Comesana's similar traits. I mentioned it earlier, but there were still some moments where Bellucci had quite a few cheap errors (otherwise the scoreline would be 6-2, 6-1...). His game is aggressive and high-risk, so it's hard to avoid... but this is something that can be more costly against better opponents than Comesana. I would like to note that this match will be played on Court 2 at approximately 7-8 pm local time. So, that's the same court and around the same time for Bellucci... certainly not a bad thing.
