Luca Nardi vs Cameron Norrie Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Italian Open

Prediction published on 09/05/2022, 10:17  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 09/05/2022 at 11:18 in Tennis Predictions

World number 11 Cameron Norrie is up against the wild card Luca Nardi in the Rome Masters first round. The winner of this match takes on Marin Cilic in round two. Norrie is the ninth seed for this tournament and in the same half of the draw as second seeded Alexander Zverev. The British player is in his fourth clay court event of the year, all played in Europe. He lost in his opening match in Monte Carlo, but then got to the last eight in Monte Carlo, losing in three sets to Alex de Minaur. In Madrid last week, he got to the last 16 but lost to the eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz, who has pulled out of the Rome Masters.Norrie did well to take a set off the Spaniard.

Luca Nardi is the world number 201 but he's Italian and has been given a wild card to take part in the Rome Masters. The 18-year-old has a career high ranking of 198th and has spent the year playing on the Challenger Tour. He won the first event held in Forli (which is in Italy) and in early April won another in Lugano, Both of those tournaments were on hard courts. His first clay event was in Barletta (Italy again) where he lost in the last four. That was followed by a quarter final in Split. He won two ITF Tour clay court events last year but this is a major step up for him but all good experience. Go for Norrie to win in straight sets.