It will be a clash of the Italians when Matteo Berrettini takes on countryman Fabio Fognini in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday. First-round action wraps up with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud.
(15) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Casper Ruud
Norway’s Casper Ruud has quietly gone about the business of posting some of the best clay results of the whole season. The world No. 22 started with a quarterfinal showing in Marbella, which he followed up with semi-final appearances in both Monte-Carlo and Munich.
It’s bad luck for seeded player Felix Auger-Aliassime to have drawn Ruud in the first round. The Canadian hasn’t been nearly as impressive as Ruud on the dirt so far this year. Cristian Garin knocked him out of Monte-Carlo in the first round, though he did have a good run to the quarters in Barcelona.
The two men have met once before on the main tour back in 2019 at the Miami Masters. Auger-Aliassime won that encounter in 3 sets, but that was years ago, when Ruud was ranked No. 94 in the world. This time around, it’s a different story. Ruud is not only a legitimate threat on clay, a win against the higher-ranked Auger-Aliassime should not be considered an upset.
Cheryl pick: Ruud in 3
Ricky pick: Ruud in 3
(8) Matteo Berrettini vs. Fabio Fognini
This is one of the more intriguing matches on the docket in Madrid on Tuesday. First, there is the general unpredictability that Fabio Fognini brings into his matches. The Italian veteran is often inconsistent, swinging wildly from brilliance to shockingly poor tennis to standard mediocity. Further, his temper frequently boils over. Last week in Barcelona, Fognini found himself defaulted from the tournament for “verbal abuse” of a lines judge.
Matteo Berrettini has been in good form in 2021. He is 12-3 on the season. The younger Italian just won the event in Belgrade, thanks in part to Aslan Karatsev’s upset of Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. The No. 8 seed also got to the round of 16 at the Australian Open and helped lead team Italy to the finals of the ATP Cup.
Berrettini would ordinarily be the favorite, but fatigue could well be a factor for him. He came right to Spain from his 3-set title win in Belgrade on Sunday, while Fognini was already in Spain and thanks to his default, his last tournament showing was brief. Berrettini is decidedly playing better tennis, but Fognini is plenty capable of producing upsets.
Cheryl pick: Berrettini in 2
Ricky pick: Berrettini in 2
Casper in 2; Fog in a tight 3.
nice picks, Cheryl