Parma 2021: Men's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction | Emilia-Romagna Open
The ATP tour travels to Parma, Italy this week for one of the final events in the lead-up to Roland Garros. The 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open, which begins on 24 May, will be headlined by mercurial Frenchman Benoit Paire and electric Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
The top seeds will be joined by talented NextGen players Lorenzo Musetti, Sebastian Korda, Emil Ruusuvuori and Frances Tiafoe.
The Emilia-Romagna Open is an ATP 250 claycourt event, with a field of 28 players and total prize money of 541,800 euros. The event was introduced to the calendar after the COVID-19 situation in France forced this year's Roland Garros to be delayed by one week from its scheduled start.
With main draw action set to kick off on Monday, here's a look at how the event could pan out:
Top half: Sonego, Musetti on collision course
Seeded players: [1] Lorenzo Sonego, [4] Jan-Lennard Struff, [6] Tommy Paul, [8] Yoshihito Nishioka
Expected semifinal: Lorenzo Sonego vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Dark horse: Tommy Paul
Analysis: At this time last year, Lorenzo Sonego was in a funk, having lost 17 of his 20 matches ahead of the French Open.
However, he turned his fortunes around with a fourth-round appearance at Roland Garros and followed it up with a stunning upset of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Vienna Open.
Sonego has since gone from strength to strength and is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. The Italian won the title in Cagliari and reached the last four in Rome last week.
The World No. 28 arrives in Parma in top form and will be the player to beat. Having received a first-round bye, Sonego will face either Sebastian Korda or former World No. 18 Andreas Seppi in a tricky opening match.
Things will then get tougher for the top seed, who could face compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.
Musetti is currently competing at the Lyon Open, where he has beaten Felix Auger Aliassime, Sebastian Korda and Aljaz Bedene en route to securing a semifinal clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas. Musetti opens his campaign in Parma against Gianluca Mager.
Jan-Lennard Struff headlines the opposite side of Sonego's half. The hard-hitting German, who reached his first ATP final a few weeks ago in Munich, has a straightforward opener against either wildcard Flavio Cobolli or USA's Marcos Giron.
Going by the seedings, Struff could face Tommy Paul in the last eight.
Bottom half: Can Benoit Paire end his slump in Parma?
Seeded players: [2] Benoit Paire, [3] Albert Ramos Vinolas, [5] Richard Gasquet, [7] Aljaz Bedene
Expected semifinal: Benoit Paire vs Albert Ramos Vinolas
Dark horse: Frances Tiafoe
Analysis: Benoit Paire has had a tumultuous time ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The volatile Frenchman, who tested positive for the virus last year, has accumulated a 2-12 win-loss record thus far and has struggled to cope with the "bubble life" on tour.
However, Benoit Paire can still turn his fortunes around in Parma ahead of Roland Garros, where he has made the second week twice in his career. Paire will open his campaign against either a qualifier or Marbella finalist Jaume Munar.
If he comes through that match, Benoit Paire could face Gilles Simon or Richard Gasquet for a place in the semifinals. Although both Simon and Gasquet's best years are behind them, the two Frenchmen can still make life difficult for their compatriot.
2021 Estoril Open winner Albert Ramos Vinolas, who leads the opposite side of Paire's half, might have a tough task on his hands. The Spaniard will face either a qualifier or the talented Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round, before a potential encounter against seventh-seeded Aljaz Bedene, wildcard Marco Cecchinato or Frances Tiafoe.
Bedene, who is ranked 55th in the world, has had a respectable season with four quarterfinal appearances. He kicks off his Parma campaign against Salvatore Caruso, before taking on either Cecchinato or Tiafoe, both of whom are dangerous customers on clay.
Semifinal predictions
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tommy Paul
Frances Tiafoe vs Benoit Paire
Predicted final
Lorenzo Sonego vs Frances Tiafoe
Predicted champion
Lorenzo Sonego