Maxime Cressy of the US will take on Argentina’s Guido Pella in the opening round of the Italian Open
Pella is well past his prime and is currently ranked World No.485 in men’s singles. The 32-year-old only plays selective tournaments and the Italian Open is set to be his sixth tournament of the season. The Argentine has suffered early exits in all the tournaments he participated in and it doesn’t seem that things will be too different in Italy. Pella has a tough job in hand and it remains to be seen if he manages to use his experience and make a mark in the tournament.
Cressy is currently ranked World No.39 in ATP singles but has had an underwhelming season so far. He has suffered first-round exits from all of his previous four tournaments – the Madrid Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Miami Open and the Indian Wells Masters. Cressy’s biggest highlight of the season has been his runners-up finish at the Open Sud de France in February. During his incredible run to the final of the event, Cressy defeated top seeds like Emil Ruusuvuori (7), Borna Coric (3) and Holger Rune (1) before eventually losing in the summit clash to No.2 seed Jannik Sinner.
The American will look to replicate his form from that tournament in France and give a good account of himself in Italy. Cressy has the ability to beat anyone on his day, which makes him a very tricky opposition.
Date – Wednesday, 10th May
Court Type – Clay outdoor surface
Telecast – Tennis Channel
Start Time – To be Announced
Location – Foro Italico
Match details – Round of 128 match
Pella and Cressy have never played each other before on the ATP tour. This is the first professional head to head clash between the two players. On paper, Cressy is the favourite both in terms of rankings and form. However, one can certainly not rule out Pella and the Argentine is expected to put up a tough fight. We are expecting a close encounter with Cressy eventually getting the better of Pella in three sets.
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