The Rome first round continues on Monday, when veteran Italian Fabio Fognini goes up against Kei Nishikori. Fognini isn’t the only home hope in action; teenager Lorenzo Musetti meets Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz.
Kei Nishikori vs. Fabio Fognini
Italy has enjoyed a real men’s tennis renaissance in the past year or so. Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini are leading the charge, but Fabio Fognini has been a fixture in Italian tennis for more than a decade. Fognini is ranked 28th in the world right now. He made the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo but suffered a pair of early-round exits in Barcelona and Madrid since then.
Kei Nishikori is attempting to claw his way back up the rankings. The Japanese veteran had elbow surgery in 2019 and a long recovery left him largely our of commission in 2020. He’s back on the tour full time, but at No. 45 his low ranking has him running into top players early in the most recent events. He lost to eventual champions Rafael Nadal in Barcelona and Alexander Zverev in Madrid.
Nishikori holds a scant 2-1 record over Fognini (haven’t met since 2017). Playing at home is generally a benefit for players, but Fognini’s results at the Italian Open haven’t been particularly impressive. Except for one quarterfinal showing in 2018, he has never been past the third round. Nishikori’s form has been slightly better than Fognini’s of late, too.
Cheryl pick: Nishikori in 2
Ricky pick: Nishikori in 3
(15) Hubert Hurkacz vs. (WC) Lorenzo Musetti
Rankings would suggest that world No. 19 Hubert Hurkacz is a heavy favorite in this first-round match, but they don’t tell the full story. The Pole came just about out of nowhere to win the Miami Masters in March, which gave him a monster rankings jump. Since then he has only managed to win one match. Lorenzo Musetti is No. 82 right now, but he came up through qualies in Acapulco and made his way all the way to the semifinals. His form has dropped off a bit since; he has posted just a handful of match wins since the European clay-court swing began.
With both players having gone off the boil the past few weeks, neither goes into Monday’s match as a definitive favorite. Hurkacz played out of his mind during Miami and proved that he’s capable of competing with the top 20. Musetti is still flexing into his game at age 19 and he will be playing in front of the home crowd. This may just be an “upset” in the making.
Cheryl pick: Musetti in 3
Ricky pick: Musetti in 3
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