Queen's Club 2022: Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Cinch Championships
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans
Tournament: Cinch Championships 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,134,520.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans preview
Boss Open champion Matteo Berrettini will take on Daniel Evans in the first round of the Cinch Championships.
Berrettini has won 13 out of 20 matches this season, with a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open and quarterfinals of the Rio Open being the standout results.
The Italian's most recent match was against Andy Murray in the finals of the Boss Open, where he went on to win 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to lift his first ATP title of the season.
Both Berrettini and Murray were coming off an exceptional week of tennis in the final. The Brit blinked first to lose his serve in the third game, handing over the advantage to the 26-year old, who put up a flawless display to win the opening set.
The duo proceeded cautiously in the second and held their serve for the next ten games, until Murray pulled a rabbit out of the hat and broke the second seed in the penultimate game to level the match. Berrettini replied by instantly breaking a tired Murray and followed it up with a barrage of big serves to win his first trophy in Stuttgart.
Daniel Evans has won 13 out of 27 matches this season, with a run to the semifinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic and a recent triumph at the Nottingham Challenger amongst his best results.
The Brit squared off against Jordan Thompson in the finals of the €134,920 ATP Challenger Tour grass-court event. Evans did not drop a set throughout the week and continued his dominant display against the Australian. The 32-year-old capitalized on four of his seven break-point chances to secure victory in one hour and 50 minutes.
Evans earned 125 ATP Ranking points and will climb four places in the latest ATP rankings. He will be hoping to put up a strong performance against the defending champion.
Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans head-to-head
Berrettini leads the head-to-head 1-0 against Evans. The Italian defeated him last year in the quarterfinals of this tournament 7-6(5), 6-3.
Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM
Matteo Berrettini vs Daniel Evans prediction
Both players are coming off title-winning runs at their respective tournaments. Berrettini missed most of the claycourt season due to injury but has settled in like he never left the tour.
The Italain fired 19 aces and won 81 percent of his first serve points. He also saved four out of five breakpoints against Murray. Berrettini likes to play long rallies and wait for the right opportunity to be offensive. His transition game has been outstanding recently, not to mention his devastating forehand down the line.
Evans will be high on confidence after a motivating week of tennis. He won 75 percent of his first serve points and converted four out of seven break points against Thompson. The 32-year old Brit is a great counter-puncher and often uses a backhand slice to neutralise the pace in rallies. He also uses drop shots to call his opposite numbers at the net, exploiting opponents who stick to the baseline.
Berettini faces an in-form Evans, but should have enough to get past him. Considering ranking superiority and results at the top level, the Italian is the favourite heading into this contest.
Pick: Matteo Berrettini to win in three sets.