Cobolli back?

The Italian seems to have found his motivation again in this Munich tournament after his dry spell since winning the Acapulco tournament. He’s got his motivation back and therefore his level of play as well, not thanks to the opponents he’s beaten, since the first was motivated but clearly weaker, and the second really missed his match and also had a match-up that was more favorable to the Italian. What’s more interesting is the content of the matches, with an Italian who is handling rallies better and is simply more solid.

His opponent is different today. He’s not a big hitter he’ll be able to push into making errors, but a counterpuncher. So we might get an interesting match-up where each player will have to find the right balance between solidity and opportunism.

In that regard, the Czech was good in his previous match against Darderi, managing to turn the match around thanks to his consistency and a rise in his level of play. Today, his opponent won’t be playing tennis that’s as powerful and risky as Darderi’s, but the Italian is still going to have to take a few chances. The first risk I see is that the Italian might expose himself a bit too much to risk and not be flawless in his attacking tennis. Nevertheless, I find him overall more solid. What I take away is that the Czech, in his two matches here, has shown a level that has fluctuated and that he’s had to work hard to raise his game and beat his opponents. So I think that assuming a much more consistent level of play, the Italian has to be considered the favorite here. And be careful not to price him too low.