Which player will find their form in Båstad again?

Both players played four matches here last year...

Well, it's safe to say that neither player is entering in the best of form. Budkov Kjaer is having his "sophomore year" in 2026, struggling a bit more after having somewhat of a breakout year in 2025 (at least on the Challenger Tour). This is something that tends to happen quite often, especially when players start to transition more and more toward the main ATP tour. His grass matches could have been better, but he also went up against a lot of experienced players! As for Pellegrino, well, truthfully, we have not seen a lot from him since his run at home in Rome. That's how it has been most of the time with Pellegrino, a Challenger-level player who can have a few peaks every now and then on the main tour.

As for the matchup, there is not a lot that stands out. Both players are comfortable on clay but also lack the consistency that the top players have. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising to see some peaks and dips from both players, especially with this being a first round and both players not really at their peak. It remains to see how Budkov Kjaer will feel about playing in Sweden, which is kind of a home tournament for him, as a Norwegian. He did get a lot of support here in 2025 and was able to use it to his advantage! A tricky first round... can we find something here?