No scare this time, Fran'!

The Argentinian had to work hard in his first round, saving numerous set points.

It’s not the perfect start we were expecting, but at the same time Cerundolo really dropped in intensity in the second set and his opponent Dellien played a great set, he deserved to win it. Cerundolo says it was his first clay match of the year and that it’s normal not to be perfect, that he made some slightly silly errors that he hopes not to repeat later, which is pretty clear-headed. I’m not really worried! For this second round he’s up against Berrettini’s executioner, Kopriva! The Czech dominated the whole match but we have to admit the Italian was already spent for his comeback. I love Kopriva and I’m really happy to see him back on clay, he’s smart and quite pleasant to watch in my opinion. He makes do with the weapons he has and once he finds his rhythm he’s a real handful! Cerundolo has a clear edge on serve and in pure power, especially on the forehand side, but consistency will be Kopriva’s strong point in this match-up; when the rallies get long he’ll be the more patient of the two. I can already picture Cerundolo trying a few poorly chosen drop shots and getting punished…

I’m not gonna say I see Kopriva winning, far from it, but I do see him as a solid outsider who can break the opponent’s rhythm and make Cerundolo doubt himself if the Argentine starts overhitting without managing to finish points quickly. So I’m going to lean towards a bet that goes in Kopriva’s direction; it’s risky but I kind of believe in it. But I’m warning you, he’s a choker: if he finds himself ahead and has to close out the set or the match, we cash out and take our profit!!