Daniil, pull yourself together!

Daniil on dry, slow land, it's not pretty...

Really not at ease against Llamas Ruiz, Daniil can only play better today… right?

Even if with him you can expect anything, he’s finally settled into his tournament now, and he’s going to sort a few things out. Because if we compare the level of today’s two opponents, there’s really no contest: Tirante looks like a true solid clay-court player, whereas Daniil is constantly searching for solutions with a game style and a physique that aren’t the best suited to the surface. I’d even add that his serve is less damaging.

For me there isn’t any big analysis to make here: if the Argentine doesn’t mess it up, he’ll be the one dictating play and deciding the outcome of the match in my opinion. I’d also add that the weather will be great, so the clay will be a bit dry and fast. And one more argument: I also saw a Daniil who looked pretty limited physically!