Cincinnati 2020: Tennys Sandgren vs Lorenzo Sonego preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Big-hitting American Tennys Sandgren will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego on Day 2 of the Western & Southern Open 2020 in New York. On paper this opening round clash looks to be pretty one-sided in favor of the American, but Sonego is capable of springing a few surprises of his own.

Both players made full use of the coronavirus-induced lockdown by playing a number of exhibition matches. As such, they likely wouldn't take much time to get a hang of things at Flushing Meadows - which is hosting the Cincinnati Masters this year.

Tennys Sandgren and Lorenzo Sonego have had rather contrasting form this year. The American has won five of his nine matches so far, out of which four were at the Australian Open. On his way to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, Sandgren beat the likes of Matteo Berrettini, Sam Querrey and Fabio Fognini.

He even came mighty close to defeating the great Roger Federer, but squandered seven match points before going down in five hard-fought sets.

Lorenzo Sonego on the other hand has won just two matches this year. But in his defence he has played quite a few higher-ranked opponents, in the form of Borna Coric, Nick Kyrgios and Hubert Hurkacz.

Lorenzo Sonego

Sandgren's explosive brand of tennis will be quite a challenge for Sonego, who is not particularly known for his hardcourt skills. Needless to say, the Italian will have to bring his A-game if he is to get past the powerful Tennessean.

Tennys Sandgren vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head

Tennys Sandgren

The head-to-head between Tennys Sandgren and Lorenzo Sonego is currently at 0-0 as they have never faced each other on the ATP tour.

Tennys Sandgren vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction

Despite his volatile nature on court, Tennys Sandgren is usually a tough out. Even on his worst days, the American can produce some scintillating winners of both wings.

Sangren's serve can be a handful due to its pace and precision. An aggressive returner too, Sandgren could potentially feast on Lorenzo Sonego’s rather inconsistent second serve.

Tennys Sandgren

The key for the Italian would be his ability to prolong the rallies and draw out errors from Sandgren, who tends to lose control and precision in the crucial moments. Sonego would also have to defend his first serve well, and stand closer to the baseline than he usually does.

Tennys Sandgren should be expected to emerge victorious in this clash, but he is unlikely to have it easy. Lorenzo Sonego will not go down without putting up a fight, and could well turn this into a dogfight.

Prediction: Tennys Sandgren to win in three sets.

Match details

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $4,674,780

Live telecast: India - Sony Ten 2 | USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN

Match timing: 11 am EDT (8:30 pm IST)