The gem Cina, or the Halys experience.

Nice contrast of styles in this first round. And even if at first glance Halys seems to be the logical favorite, I think it’s not going to be easy.

We said right away that Halys, on a fast high-altitude clay court, can be really dangerous and indeed, he reached the final in 2024 in his only appearance. The problem is that right now, he’s not playing very well. I’m actually quite disappointed with his level after the good training block he’d put in a few weeks earlier. I just feel like he can’t get everything to click. Maybe going back to a clay court that suits him quite well could trigger something for him, but if we’re just talking about level of play and momentum, I’m really not convinced. I’m also putting his final here a bit into perspective: he came through qualifying, built up confidence and also benefited from a rather favorable draw.

As for Cina, I can’t say he’s having a great year either, he’s still trying to find himself and is even struggling at Challenger level. That said, he clearly has qualities and is still promising, and he also has the advantage of coming through the qualies with two wins under his belt (even if he didn’t beat anyone huge). The conditions are good for him, he likes it when it’s fast. I’m waiting for a breakthrough and maybe this tournament will be the right opportunity, or maybe not. In any case, we’ve got two players who aren’t playing their best tennis.

First meeting between them, this could turn into a tight match given how strong their serves are, and mentally they’re both solid too, so I’m leaning towards a close battle that could be decided by one or two small details.