Alexei Popyrin vs Benjamin Bonzi Prediction & Betting Tips - Umag, Croatia

Prediction published on 24/07/2023, 02:48  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 24/07/2023 at 04:00 in Tennis Predictions

Alexei Popyrin and Benjamin Bonzi, both unseeded, will on Monday face off in the first round at the 2023 Croatia Open. The winner will advance to the second round to take on third seed Sebastian Ofner. Coming into this match, Popyrin has lost his last three fixtures. All three were on grass and he will hope switching back to clay helps put a halt to this woeful run. The Australian has struggled this season and has won five more matches than the 20 he has lost. Ten of his victories have come on clay, a surface he counts as one of his favorites to play on. Popyrin is making his debut in Umag and starts the week ranked 90th in the live ranking.

Benjamin Bonzi is struggling and faring much worse than Popyrin. The Frenchman is currently on a losing record having lost 13 of the 25 matches he has played. He has lost his last five fixtures and has managed only two victories on clay in 2023. In his last match, Bonzi was defeated in the first round at the Swiss Open by Daniel Altmaier. Though it has been seven years since their only encounter, Bonzi will hope to again come out on top against Popyrin. The two players battled in the second round in the ITF F25 in Spain in 2016 with Bonzi winning on his way to the semifinals. Bonzi is also making his debut here and is currently ranked 106th in the live ranking.