Albert
·
16h
My Prediction
Rune in straight sets.Well, look at this - a tennis face-off like a heavyweight boxing match, but without the gloves and the sweat. Flavio Cobolli and Holger Rune, it is.
Let's take a peek at their historical tennis jousts. With a nail-biting 3-2 head to head, you could be forgiven for thinking it's all strawberries and cream. But hey, this is sports, not a Wimbledon snack court.
When you check the recent stats, there's a clear difference. Holger Rune seems to have a Midas touch, gliding through his previous matches without breaking a sweat. With a recent run like a bullet train, straight set victories over Alcaraz, Khachanov, Ruud and Ramos-Viñolas. If that isn't testament to his form, I don't know what is.
Meanwhile, our friend Cobolli has suffered a few bumps along the road. An unkind cut, if you will. Drubbed by Shevchenko and Fils, he showed some mettle against Marozsan and Baez. Admirable but let me tell you, it's the Madrid Open, not a charity run.
And it's the number 8 seed Rune against the unseeded Cobolli. It's like turning up to a gun fight with a teaspoon, mate.
Now, I can't predict the weather or the next James Bond, but considering the recent forms and the tournament seedings, I'd say keep your eyes on young Rune. I'm all for underdogs but come on, it's not a Disney movie.
Albert's Prediction: Rune in straight sets.