Aslan Karatsev vs Mattia Bellucci Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Hangzhou Open

Prediction published on 18/09/2024, 01:58  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 18/09/2024 at 02:01 in Tennis Predictions

Aslan Karatsev will play fellow unseeded player Mattia Bellucci in the opening round of the 2024 Hangzhou Open. This Thursday match will be their first career meeting and we have their stats and a prediction.

Aslan Karatsev is back on the tour after a three-week break. He last took to the court at the US Open where he lost in qualifying. The Russian has struggled with his form this year due to fitness issues and so far has compiled a 5-12 record.

He injured his knee in his first match of the season in Brisbane and was out until the clay season in April. The 31-year-old has recorded four of his wins on hard courts. He will be hoping the rest period allows a prolonged run in Hangzhou.

A former top 15 player, Karatsev is currently 136th in the live ranking.

While Karatsev struggled, Mattia Bellucci has been in fine form, especially in the second half of the year. The Italian, who has compiled a 37-25 record alternating between the tour and challenger circuits, won 17 of his last 21 matches.

All wins were on hard courts. In this run, he recorded one runner-up finish at challenger level and an ATP quarter-final debut. Bellucci also earned his maiden win in the main draw of a major tournament at the US Open.

He reached the second round at Flushing Meadows as a qualifier which was also his last appearance. The 23-year-old started the season ranked 200th in the world. He is now placed 105th in the live ranking.

The winner here will play Zhang Zhizhen or a yet-to-be-named qualifier next.