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Match details
Fixture: Karen Khachanov vs (15) Pablo Carreno Busta
Date: 11 May 2022
Tournament: Italian Open
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €5,415,410
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sports18 & Voot
Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta preview
Karen Khachanov and Pablo Carreno Busta will meet in the second round of the 2022 Italian Open on Wednesday after securing straightforward wins in their respective opening matches.
Carreno Busta, the 15th seed, dropped only five games to come through against a potentially dangerous opponent in the form of Federico Delbonis. The Spaniard is fresh off a runner-up showing in Barcelona, where he scored wins over the likes of Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman.
He did bow out in the opening round in Madrid earlier this month and will be keen to bounce back from that disappointment in Rome.
Khachanov, meanwhile, eased past Italian wildcard Giulio Zeppieri in his first match in Rome on Monday. The 25-year-old looked confident throughout the encounter -- especially on serve as he saved the two breakpoints -- to sail to a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Khachanov has struggled with the transition from hardcourt to the red dirt this year. His win over Zeppieri was only his second victory from four claycourt tournaments this season.
Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta head-to-head
Khachanov leads Carreno Busta 4-3 in their current head-to-head. That said, the Spaniard has come out on top in both of their prior meetings on clay.
Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta prediction
Given his recent run of form, Carreno Busta will enter this contest as the favorite on paper. His recent wins over claycourt specialists, including the likes of Ruud and Schwartzman, would have given him plenty of confidence.
The Spaniard's flat groundstrokes aren't the best suited for slower surfaces, but his aggressive hitting from the baseline has held him in good stead over the European clay swing so far.
Against a big-hitting opponent in the form of Karen Khachanov, he will need to maintain the same level of intent. A passive approach is unlikely to yield any positive results as that will only allow Khachanov to settle into a rhythm.
Carreno Busta also has a steadier game when compared to Khachanov, who often gives away a fair few easy points as unforced errors. The Spaniard can thus be expected to extend his clean claycourt record against Khachanov on Friday.
Prediction: Carreno Busta to win in three sets
