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Match details
Fixture: Matteo Berrettini vs Alex Molcan
Tournament: Mexican Open 2023
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Acapulco, Mexico
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $2,013,940
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex Molcan preview
World No. 24 Matteo Berrettini will square off against Alex Molcan in the first round of the 2023 Mexican Open.
Berrettini represented his country in his first tournament of the new season, the United Cup. He defeated Casper Ruud and Thiago Monteiro in straight sets during the group stage, while scoring a win over Hubert Hurkacz in the city finals.
Berrettini lost a close three-set battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, but Italy still managed to defeat Greece to reach the title round. The 26-year-old lost his singles tie against Taylor Fritz in the final as the United States went on to emerge victorious.
Berrettini was next up against Andy Murray in the first round of the Australian Open. He lost the first couple of sets before claiming the next two to level the proceedings. The Italian even held a match point in the deciding set, but went on to lose the match in the final-set tie-break.
Molcan, meanwhile, started the year with consecutive opening-round losses at the Maharashtra Open and the ASB Classic. He notched up his first win of the season by defeating Stan Wawrinka in a five-set thriller at the Australian Open. The 25-year-old lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round.
Molcan suffered another first-round loss at the Argentina Open against Dominic Thiem in straight sets. He performed slightly better the following week by making it to the second round of the Rio Open.
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex Molcan head-to-head
The two have not faced off before prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex Molcan odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex Molcan prediction
With just a couple of victories under his belt, Molcan is off to a rough start this year. Berrettini returns to action for the first time since his heartbreaking loss to Murray at the Australian Open.
The Italian has competed quite well in all of his matches, so despite a 3-3 record for the year, he cannot be underestimated. His serve alone should help him out quite a bit against Molcan. He has already blasted 81 aces across his six matches this season.
Molcan is likely to go after Berrettini's backhand, which still tends to misfire under pressure. Even if it isn't executed properly, the Italian will be ready to unleash his monstrous forehand instead.
At his best, Molcan is a fierce competitor. But given his poor form at the moment, this contest is likely to be an uphill battle for him. Berrettini is likely to advance further without facing much resistance.
Pick: Matteo Berrettini to win in straight sets.
