TennisSection previews the 2022 Rome Open as Alexander Zverev takes on Alex De Minaur in the third round on Thursday, May 12th, 2022.
Will Alexander Zverev continued his dominance over Alex De Minaur? Or will the Aussie stun the second seed in their first bout on the clay at the Rome Open?
In his first match since losing the Madrid Open final to teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev did not wear the look of a man contemplating on the resentment of past failures. Zverev had lashed out at the ATP for their ill-timed scheduling of the semifinal matches which hampered his preparations for the final. But he needed to be at the top of his game in a very tricky opener against Argentina’s rising star Sebastian Baez. Zverev took time to adjust from the high altitude in Madrid to the slow playing conditions of Foro Italico. And in Baez, he was playing an opponent who had won a maiden ATP title on clay in Estoril and had passed through the qualifying rounds at the Rome Open. But the German showed his class and produced two extraordinary shots in the decisive moments of the match two swing the outcome in his favor.
Alex De Minaur, for his part, knocked out the rapidly-improvingTommy Paul in straight sets. But in fairness, that match could have easily swung the other way had the American taken his chances. De Minaur converted five break points from 12. In contrast, Paul managed three from five. The Aussie is looking to reach a second quarterfinal on the dirt this season having already made the last four in Barcelona last month. Can he turn around his appalling record against Alexander Zverev?
Alexander Zverev leads Alex De Minaur 5-1 in their head-to-head. However, it is pertinent to note that none of their previous meetings were contested on clay. An upset is worth considering in this match simply because the court conditions could favor De Minaur’s agility and superior court coverage. Zverev was quick to point out how different the balls were flying in Madrid as compared to the slow playing surface at the Rome Open. De Minaur will certainly get a lot more purchase behind the return and retrieve more balls which might be a ploy to disrupt the German’s rhythm.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Alex De Minaur to win in 3 sets.
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