Dalibor, who are you?

Author of a very good match against Duckworth, the 23-year-old Czech now finds himself on the big stage!

The first thing that stands out is the Italian’s odds, which seem unusually high. Let’s see why. Dalibor’s match against Duckworth, even though the latter isn’t a very impressive opponent, showed some interesting things. Dalibor displayed quality tennis, with a slim, light, very mobile profile, playing a lot on defense and counterpunching. The quality of his game explains why his odds aren’t as low as you might expect for someone without much of a track record who’s hovering around the world top 100. This year, he notched his second win of the season. You really have to factor in this particular tournament for Dalibor; he put in a very strong performance against Duckworth. As for the Italian, he’s also been in good form since the previous tournament and is playing better, especially mentally. He managed to beat Pacheco Mendes, the Mexican local, who often shines at home in Mexico. Coboli won the match in straight sets, including two very convincing tie-breaks. That’s encouraging for the Italian, even if those kinds of atmospheres tend to fire him up, and there will probably be a bit less spectacle against Dalibor, who isn’t very charismatic. I’m looking for reasons that would justify odds that are too high on Coboli, particularly because of the match-up. It turns out Coboli will be more in the role of aggressor than usual and will have to finish points cleanly against an opponent who defends well on a demanding surface. This match-up suggests the match won’t be easy for the Italian, much tougher than one might imagine. That said, the conditions also favor Coboli, as he can place his forehand attacks well. In the end, his odds, though slightly high, are still appealing. Even if I think they should be a bit below 1.70, it’s still worth betting on him to win.