Carlos Alcaraz in action at the 2023 Argentina Open
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz squares off against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the round of 16 of the 2023 Rio Open on Thursday.
The 19-year-old came into the tournament after making a triumphant return to tennis at the Argentina Open. Alcaraz missed over three months of action owing to injury but he hardly showed signs of ring rust since his comeback.
In the round of 32 of the 2023 Rio Open, the defending champion managed to defeat home favorite Mateus Alves in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in an encounter that was delayed by rain. The former world No. 1, Alcaraz, was pushed harder than expected by Alves but he managed to hold his nerves to secure his 5th victory since returning.
It has not been a great start to the season for the experienced campaigner. Fognini had no wins this year before coming to play in the Rio Open. In his last campaign, in the Argentina Open, Fognni lost to Laslo Djere in straight sets.
Fognini faced Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera in the first round of the Rio Open. The 35-year-old dominated the encounter and sealed a morale-boosting 6-2, 6-3 win that saw him convert 5 out of 7 break points. Fognini will have to use all his experience and play his A-game to defeat the in-form Alcaraz.
The two players faced each other only once so far and it was at the 2022 Rio Open. Alcaraz went on to win the match 6-2, 7-5. Therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 1-0 in favor of the Spaniard.
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.
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