Bros!

It’s not easy to face each other in a match when you’re buddies, so in a Grand Slam... Can you imagine playing a match against your best mate, and the one who wins takes $200,000?!

And yes, especially since the last time they played each other it was in Paris 3 months ago. Sonego had won in 3 sets. The conditions in Paris, fast with a low bounce, suited him very well. And I also remember that Loré was under huge pressure to qualify for the Finals. So a very different match-up today, but not necessarily less favorable for Sonego. In fact, he had an insane Australian Open last year, and his first match here this year was much more convincing than his buddy’s. If you didn’t see Musetti / Collignon, Musetti got through largely thanks to the Belgian’s cramps, while he himself was really being pushed around. Put simply: the Italian was not himself, as if he wasn’t really feeling the ball. Maybe he preferred to not play at full intensity after the discomfort he picked up against Zverev in an exhibition? Strange for a guy coming off a flawless tournament in Hong Kong. On Sonego’s side, everything’s fine. We know more or less exactly how he’s going to play: super aggressive, big focus on serve/return, pinning Musetti on his backhand. They know each other inside out. Musetti in form (no Finals pressure and not injured/tired), I’d price him at 1.35 in a BO5 format on AO courts. But right now, it should be a bit higher given the few uncertainties, and the good level Sonego has reached, and can still reach here. Just keep an eye on whether there’s wind like yesterday in the second half of the day, that would affect Sonego much more than Musetti.