The ATP Cup is in full swing on Sunday, with the event in Sydney offering up big names such as Daniil Medvedev and Matteo Berrettini on Sunday. Russia and Italy are going up against France and Australia, respectively.
battles France, and Italy takes on Australia.
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs. Ugo Humbert (FRA)
Reigning U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev actually has a losing record against his Sunday afternoon opponent, world No. 35 Ugo Humbert. The loss, however, came in 2020 on the clay courts of Hamburg and the Russian won zero matches on the dirt that season. This time, Humbert faces the world No. 2, who comes into this event fresh, and brimming with confidence.
Humbert had a positively miserable run in the second half of the 2021 season, culminating in a first round loss in the Orleans Challenger at the hands of world No. 159 Quentin Halys. The Frenchman owes his current ranking largely to his somewhat out-of-nowhere tournament win in Halle last year, where he snagged 500 ranking points.
Given both players’ current form, this match could be over in a hurry. Medvedev should be feeling good, and looking to get some matches under his belt in preparation for what is likely to be a deep run at the Australian Open in a couple of weeks.
Cheryl pick: Medvedev in 2
Ricky pick: Medvedev in 2
Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs. Alex de Minaur (AUS)
Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini performed admirably in each of 2021’s Majors. His game, while better-suited to faster courts, translated well to clay. He had a disappointment at the Nitto ATP Finals at home in Turin, bowing out in his first round robin match with an injury, but otherwise the 2021 season was a triumph for the world No. 7.
He’ll need to hit the ground running this week. Italy will be taking on the home team Aussies at the ATP Cup, and Berrettini will clash with Alex de Minaur, Australia’s top-seeded player. De Minaur’s 2021 season was a mixed bag, and the world No. 34 ended the season with an anemic 25-25 record.
The Sydney crowd may give de Minaur a boost. Fan attendance on the first day of play was somewhat sparse, but they’ll almost certainly show up in larger numbers for Team Australia’s first round of matches on Sunday evening. Unfortunately for Team Australia, the fact that their top player runs directly into an in-form (and presumably healthy) Matteo Berrettini probably spells defeat.
Cheryl pick: Berrettini in 2
Ricky pick: Berrettini in 2
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