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Fixture: David Goffin vs (WC) Luca Nardi.
Date: May 11, 2023.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: First Round (Round of 128).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: Masters 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €7,705,780.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
David Goffin vs Luca Nardi preview
David Goffin and Luca Nardi are set to duke it out in the first round of the 2023 Italian Open on Thursday.
Goffin's clay season commenced with a first-round defeat against Diego Schwartzman at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He scored a three-set win over Feliciano Lopez at the Barcelona Open to notch up his first victory of the clay swing.
Goffin then lost to Yoshihito Nishioka in the next round. He failed to get past the opening hurdle at the Madrid Open, losing to Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets. The Belgian next competed in a Challenger tournament, where he made it to the semifinals.
Nardi, meanwhile, has just one win at the ATP level this season, which came at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He successfully qualified for the tournament and defeated Valentin Vacherot in the first round. The teenager lost to compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in the next round.
Nardi was unable to make it out of the qualifying rounds of the Sprska Open and the Madrid Open. He competed in a Challenger tournament in his native Italy last week, but lost to Fabian Marozsan in the first round. The Italian received a wildcard to participate in this edition of the Italian Open.
David Goffin vs Luca Nardi head-to-head
The two have not faced off prior to this in main draw matches, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
David Goffin vs Luca Nardi odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
David Goffin vs Luca Nardi prediction
Goffin's string of poor results has seen his ranking drop outside of the top 100 for the first time in years. Nardi hasn't been too impressive either. Both players have just one win on clay so far at the ATP level this season.
Goffin's experience should give him an upper hand in this encounter. He's a veteran of the tour at this point and despite his dip in form, should be able to handle his younger opponent.
Nardi, on the other hand, is still finding his footing on the tour. When drawn against experienced and top players, the gulf in their skills is exposed quite easily. The teenager is quite talented, but is yet to take his game to the next level.
Both players are on the hunt for a confidence boosting win at the moment. Goffin's consistency from the baseline coupled with his decent serve and return game could prove to be too much for Nardi to overcome. As such, this contest tends heavily in favor of the Belgian.
Pick: David Goffin to win in three sets.
