Friso Gentsch/dpa
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Lorenzo Sonego: ATP Eastbourne – First round
Two players in their prime will face each other in the first round of the ATP Eastbourne.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Profile
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is 36th in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 21 in the world. The Spaniard is 10-13 for the season and 0-1 on grass.
Davidovich Fokina is coming off a 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 loss to Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round in Queens. That was his only match after losing to Casper Ruud in the second round of the French Open in five sets.
Davidovich Fokina made to two quarterfinals this season in Marseille and Dubai.
This will be his third appearance in Eastbourne, and he has won only one match so far.
Lorenzo Sonego Profile
Lorenzo Sonego is 57th in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 21 in the world. The Italian is 13-20 for the season and 1-1 on grass.
He is coming off a 6-4, 7-6 loss to Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 in Halle, after previously beating Miomir Kecmanovic in two tie breaks.
Sonego’s best result this season was the semifinal at the Turin Challenger, and he also made it to the quarterfinal in Marrakech.
This is his fourth appearance in Eastbourne, and he reached the final in 2021, where he lost to Alex de Minaur.
Head-to-Head – Sonego leads 1-0
- Sonego vs Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2019 Genoa Challenger, final)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players have a losing record for the season and are hoping to turn things around on grass. Sonego has a much better career record on this surface and played quite well in Halle last week. He pushed Alexander Zverev to the limits, and his serve will give him a big advantage in this game. Davidovich Fokina moves better than Sonego, but that does not make a significant difference on this surface. Taking all that into account, we are going with Sonego to win this match.
