Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Wimbledon match.
Wimbledon gets underway, and among the opening round ties is an intriguing clash between Luciano Darderi and Roman Safiullin. Two years ago, Safiullin reached the quarter-finals here, but last season he bowed out in the third round.
Luciano Darderi
Darderi’s grass season hasn’t started in spectacular fashion, but there are several encouraging signs in his game. For one, he’s only been beaten in straight sets once. Notably, he even took a set off world No. 26 Stefanos Tsitsipas (4:6, 6:3, 6:7). On serve, Darderi has been particularly strong — firing nine aces against the Greek and seven against Chile’s Nicolás Jarry in a prior match.
Roman Safiullin
Safiullin, by contrast, continues to struggle with return play on grass — an issue that’s lingered. His latest outing in Mallorca didn’t suggest any progress in this area: Hamad Medjedovic racked up 12 aces against him. Earlier, in Halle qualifying, the Russian lost to Germany’s Louis Wessels (No. 219), who hit 18 aces. Against a server like Darderi, Safiullin will likely face similar problems.
Luciano Darderi vs Roman Safiullin Prediction
Bookmakers are backing the Russian, though the justification isn’t immediately clear. Darderi might not be a household name, but he’s well equipped to expose Safiullin’s weaknesses on this surface. Even if the Italian doesn’t win outright, he’s more than capable of taking at least a couple of sets.
