Italian Open 2022: Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (11) Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin.
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €6,008,725.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot & Sports 18.
Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin preview
11th seed Hubert Hurkacz will square off against World No. 60 David Goffin in the first round of the 2022 Italian Open.
Hurkacz has been consistent throughout the clay season. He made it to the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. He defeated Hugo Dellien, Pedro Martinez and Albert Ramos-Vinolas before losing in a close three-set contest against Grigor Dimitrov.
At the Madrid Open, Hurkacz once again made it to the quarterfinals. He defeated Dellien, Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Dusan Lajovic. The Pole then lost to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Alongside partner John Isner, he also made it to the semifinals in doubles.
Bitter-sweet quarterfinals 🎾
@MutuaMadridOpen https://t.co/OMETkhTj8Y
David Goffin kicked off his clay season by winning his sixth career title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco. He then lost in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters to eventual finalist Davidovich Fokina. He couldn't get past the first-round at the Serbia Open, losing to Filip Krajinovic in straight sets.
Goffin had to go through qualifying to seal his spot in the main draw of the Madrid Open. He defeated Aslan Karatsev and Botic van de Zandschulp in the first couple of rounds. The Belgian found himself up against the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, in the third round.
Goffin outta nowhere 😱
@david__goffin going supersonic to force a decider vs Rafa!
#MMOPEN https://t.co/WRSfXhaBsA
The Spaniard appeared to be cruising to victory and even held a couple of match points in the second set. But Goffin staged a turnaround to win the set and push the match into a decider.
Nadal was 4-1 up in the final set tie-break, but Goffin refused to give up and fought back to level the score before taking a surprise lead. The Belgian held four match points, but couldn't close out proceedings as the 21-time Grand Slam champion edged it 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(9).
Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin head-to-head
This is set to be the first meeting between the duo, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Hubert Hurkacz vs David Goffin prediction
Both players have had good results on clay this season. Hurkacz's serve is his biggest weapon and helps him score easy points. His ace count is frequently in double digits. However, in his loss against Djokovic, he could only hit three.
The Pole's serving stats, which are usually excellent, took a nosedive against the World No. 1. That's because of Djokovic's returning prowess. Goffin similarly excels in return games and could put Hurkacz in a spot of bother. The Belgian's groundstrokes are steady, with his backhand being his preferred wing.
Hurkacz failed to earn a single break-point opportunity in his match against Djokovic, but that shouldn't be the case against Goffin. The Belgian has never been strong on serve, so even if the World No. 14 has an off day on his own serve, he could stay in the match by doing well on return.
Both players move quite well on the red dirt, especially Hurkacz, who is able to get around despite his huge stature.
Goffin is a three-time quarterfinalist in Rome and has never lost in the first round. The Pole has competed twice here so far, with a third-round showing in 2020 being his best result.
Hurkacz has been the more consistent player this season and provided he serves well, he should be expected to triumph over Goffin.
Pick: Hubert Hurkacz to win in three sets.