Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Buenos Aires match.
Local favourite Mariano Navone faces Holger Rune in the second round of the Buenos Aires ATP 250. Despite being the underdog, Navone is more than capable of troubling Rune, just as he did in their previous encounter on clay.
Mariano Navone
Their only previous meeting was also on clay, at the Madrid Masters last year. Rune needed almost three hours (2:58) to edge past Navone in three tight sets (5:7, 7:6, 6:4). Navone, ranked 47th, has had a mixed start to the season with three wins and four losses. However, his defeats have only come against higher-ranked opponents like Nicolás Jarry (36th) and Casper Ruud (5th). He looked solid in his first-round victory over fellow Argentine Francisco Comesaña (6:4, 6:4).
Holger Rune
The Danish world No.12 has won five out of nine matches this season, but his form has been inconsistent. While a loss to world No.1 Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open (3:6, 6:3, 3:6, 2:6) was understandable, his most recent defeat to Pedro Martínez Portero (44th) in Rotterdam (4:6, 1:6) raised concerns. Rune struggled badly on serve in that match, landing just 57% of first serves and winning only 52% of those points. His second serve was equally weak, also at 52%. If he hasn’t improved in that area, he could face another tough battle.
Mariano Navone vs Holger Rune Prediction
Rune remains the favourite, but Navone will have the backing of the Argentine crowd and has already pushed him to the limit before. If Rune’s serving issues persist, we could see a long, three-set battle. Backing over 21.5 games seems like the safest call.
