Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Rotterdam match.
Mattia Bellucci had a far easier opening-round opponent compared to Daniil Medvedev. The Italian was handed a straightforward path, but now his task becomes significantly tougher.
Mattia Bellucci
Despite coming through qualifying, the young Italian had a relatively easy first-round match against 17-year-old wildcard Mees Rottgering. The Dutch junior only entered the world rankings in late 2023 and has since climbed no higher than the 900s. Unsurprisingly, Bellucci had no issues dispatching him (6:3, 6:2).
Daniil Medvedev
The second seed also faced a wildcard in his opener, but unlike Bellucci, Medvedev had to battle a vastly more accomplished opponent—veteran Stan Wawrinka. The Russian had the chance to close out the first set while leading 5:4 and 40:30 on Wawrinka’s serve but failed to convert, eventually losing the set in a tight tiebreak (8:10). The 39-year-old Swiss pushed him hard in the early stages, but Medvedev then took control, winning comfortably in the next two sets (6:4, 6:1). As usual, Wawrinka didn’t go down easily, but Medvedev showed signs of gaining momentum.
Mattia Bellucci vs Daniil Medvedev Prediction
This will be the first meeting between these two players. Medvedev’s nearly 25 cm height advantage could come into play at the net and when defending against lobs, but more importantly, he is simply the superior player in every aspect. At least one of the sets should be routine for the Russian, so the best bet is backing him to cover the handicap.
