Monte-Carlo 2023: Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (16) Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic

Tournament: Monte-Carlo 2023

Date: Sunday, April 9

Round: First Round (Round of 56)

Venue: Monte-Carlo Country Club, France

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor clay

Prize money: €5,779,335

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, TC Plus/ UK - Amazon Prime Video

Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview

Musetti has won only one of his last seven matches.

Sixteenth seed Lorenzo Musetti will play Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic in his Monte-Carlo opener on Sunday.

The 21st-ranked Musetti is 6-8 this season after losing in the quarterfinals (to Alexandre Muller) in Marrakech this week. His opening-round win at the event snapped a five-match losing streak since his quarterfinal exit at the Argentina Open.

Musetti stumbled in the opening round at Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Indian Wells and Miami before returning to winning ways in Marrakech. His four other wins this year came at the inaugural United Cup Down Under. The 21-year-old Italian is 2-2 in Monte-Carlo, with both wins coming last year.

Meanwhile, World No. 40 Kecmanovic improved to 11-8 in 2023 with a trio of wins this week at the ongoing ATP 250 event in Marrakech. He faces Marco Cecchinato on Saturday for a place in the final.

Earlier, the 23-year-old Serb made the final in Delray Beach (lost to Taylor Fritz), having reached the quarterfinals at Adelaide 2. Kecmanovic lost his only main draw match at Monte-Carlo in 2021.

Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic head-to-head

Musetti won the pair's lone meeting in the Tennis Napoli Cup semifinals last year.

Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Lorenzo Musetti	-125	-1.5 (+175)	Over 22.5 (-105)
Miomir Kecmanovic	+100	+1.5 (-250)	Under 22.5 (-135)

(All odds as per BETMGM)

Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic prediction

Both Musetti and Kecmanovic are quintessential baseliners, looking to construct points from the back of the court.

Both players have won on clay this season, especially during the ongoing European claycourt swing, so transitioning to the Monte-Carlo surface shouldn't be a problem.

In terms of game play, Musetti is the more aggressive of the two players, but aggression on clay can be a double-edged sword. The Italian has pedigree on the surface, though, winning the Hamburg title last year and taking two sets off eventual winner Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Roland Garros.

Meanwhile, Kecmanvic's lone career singles title has come on clay (Kitzbuhel 2020). He's also in stronger recent form than Musetti and should beat the Italian for his first win in Monte-Carlo.

Pick: Kecmanovic in three sets

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Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

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Edited by Anirudh Velamuri