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After an unusual week in tennis which featured an exhibition, we’re back with some picks with three ATP tournaments starting up. All three are worth 250 ranking points, and all will be held on hardcourts.
Let’s get into some picks.
Lorenzo Sonego (-160) vs. Holger Rune (+125)
Lorenzo Sonego may have won his match on Wednesday morning in straight sets, but it didn’t come without a little trouble. The Italian was forced to work hard a great defender in Bernabe Zapata Miralles and only grabbed two breaks for the win.
It was hardly convincing, and just another tough match in two weeks that Sonego has had to endure. Surely, by now, his energy levels are fading. That’s enough for me to believe Holger Rune can win this match.
Rune is a player who hasn’t played a ton of official indoor matches, but he does most of his training on indoor hardcourts. One of his handful of tour-level wins indoors came last year in Metz when he took out Sonego in three sets, and this time around he’s risen his level considerably.
I think Rune, a better player than he was a year ago, should punish a tiring Sonego.
Edge: Rune +125
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Diego Schwartzman (-145) vs. Arthur Rinderknech (+115)
This line is fishy for a reason. Schwartzman has had an awful season for his standards, going just 32-22, and 20 of those wins came on clay. Away from his favorite surface, he’s been one of the most middling players on tour. On top of this, he’s lost his last three matches when you include the Laver Cup and really won’t be bothered to dig deep in this match.
Arthur Rinderknech is a much better player on hardcourts with a big, booming serve and he has everything to play for here considering he basically disappeared after his strong start to the season. He does have a good deal of talent, and he’s proven that by briefly dipping back down to Challengers and winning seven of his last 10 matches.
Rinderknech is really starting to get into a groove here and with more motivation should win this match. Schwartzman simply hasn’t looked good this year and can’t be trusted to win.
Edge: Rinderknech +115
