Firenze Open 2022: Matteo Berrettini vs. Roberto Carballes Baena Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Firenze Open as Matteo Berrettini takes on Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round on Wednesday, October 12th, 2022.

After a first round bye, Matteo Berrettini’s Firenze Open campaign begins on Wednesday when he takes on Roberto Carballes Baena. The Italian is the red-hot favorite to clinch the title this week, but faces stiff competition from a very challenging field.

Matteo Berrettini is one of many players still seeking to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin next month. Just three spots remainand there is intense competition to join the already qualified Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Berrettini has done a commendable job to thrust his name among the potential qualifiers having seen his season blighted by injuries. He has still managed to win a coupleof titles during the grass-court season and was unfortunate to miss out at Wimbledon for testing positive for Covid-19. The Italian would go on to finish runner-up at his next tournament in Gstaad and the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Roberto Carballes Baena, meanwhile, is into the second round of the Firenze Open after pulling off a major surprise on Monday. The Spaniard saw off Daniel Elahi Galan in an impressive display of aggression and ball striking to record his first win on an indoor hard court this season and the 11th of his career. Carballes Baena converted five of 13 break points and did not drop serve all afternoon.

Matteo Berrettini leads Roberto Carballes Baena 1-0 in their head-to-head. That meeting took place in St. Petersburg three years ago, with the Italian power hitter dropping just three games in the match. Carballes Baena will carry a lot of confidence and optimism coming into the second-round match at the Firenze Open after demolishing Galan. But Berrettini will be a huge obstacle in his path. The Italian second seed has a lot to play for this month, not least the qualification spot for the ATP Finals. And playing on home soil will only serve to spur him on to another great week.