Darderi + slow land = ?

Maybe not as good as last year, the Italian, at the same point in the season, but he’s solid, with his forehand, which he hits with a lot of intensity, which he can sustain for a very long time, and with monstrous resilience and fighting spirit. When he’s not as engaged as at other times, his level immediately drops, but even if he’s not at his best, you still have to count on him to capitalize on a fairly high average level in this kind of tournament. He knows this is where he’s at his strongest, so he’s going to be all-in. Opposite him, we’ve got a Spaniard who’s coming back well, who’s got experience and a lot of mileage. You can feel it in his first match, where he knows how to manage the key moments, make the opponent play when needed, throw in drop shots when needed, and hit the right areas. He’s someone you have to be wary of, because he really has a complete arsenal of shots and strategies, and he could catch the Italian off guard for at least one set. It’s always the same story here: the Italian, who is a solid favorite and remains the better player thanks to the qualities mentioned, still doesn’t really justify his odds in the sense that he’s going to be pushed around. So maybe the win probability doesn’t change that much, but you’ll have to look at the handicaps and the game overs, because I don’t see a smooth, easy match for the Italian right now.