The 2022 Rio Open is one of four ATP events taking place this week, from February 14th to the 20th. The competition is being hosted for the first time since 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, which prevented it from being staged last year.
In a tough draw, current and past top-10 players, emerging stars, and tour veterans will compete in the ATP 500 tournament. Matteo Berrettini, a semifinalist at the 2022 Australian Open, is the tournament’s top seed.
Rio Open Men’s Singles Betting Analysis
Who to Look For
Casper Ruud, the world No. 8, is seeded second. The top four seeds are 2018 winner Diego Schwartzman and former Rio Open runner-up Pablo Carreno Busta.
Cristian Garin, the defending champion, is the fifth seed. Juan Martin del Potro had been scheduled to compete in Rio but had to withdraw.
The only ATP 500 tournament in the South American clay swing, players will be motivated to give it their all. On that topic, here’s a detailed look at how the draw may play out.
Top Half of the Bracket Betting Analysis
Matteo Berrettini and Carlos Alcaraz are set for another duel in the top half. The quarterfinals of the 2022 Rio Open might feature Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini.
The anticipated semifinals matchup in the top half of the bracket is Matteo Berrettini and Pablo Carreno Busta. Look for Fabio Fognini to come in as a dark horse.
Matteo Berrettini will compete in the 2022 Rio Open after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he was defeated by eventual victor Rafael Nadal. As a result, he became the first guy born in the 1990s to reach the quarterfinals of all four major tournaments. The top seed got a first-round bye, and in the second round, he’ll face either Thiago Monteiro or a qualifier.
In the first round, Carlos Alcaraz will face compatriot Jaume Munar, followed by either Federico Delbonis or a qualifier in the second round. The youngster will be the favorite to win both sets and face Berrettini in the quarterfinals. The Italian won an epic five-set struggle against the Australian in the third round of the Australian Open a few weeks ago.
Pablo Carreno Busta will also get a first-round bye at the Rio Open. He’ll face either former finalist Fabio Fognini or Facundo Bagnis in the second round.
Last week, Fognini reached the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open and might compete with the fourth seed for a place in the last eight. If they do meet, Carreno Busta’s 7-1 record against the Italian makes him the favorite.
Cristian Garin, the defending champion, has had a terrible season thus far, winning only three games. No player has ever successfully defended their Rio Open title or even reached successive finals. Garin’s form makes it difficult to imagine him making a deep run here.
Garin will defend his title against Federico Coria. The winner of that match will face Fernando Verdasco or Dusan Lajovic in the next round. This is a chance for all four players to earn major wins and ranking points in order to advance to the quarterfinals.
Bottom Half of the Bracket Betting Analysis
Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman are the favorites to reach the semifinals of the Rio Open. Ruud is the two seed in the tournament, while Schwartzman is the three seed.
In the bottom of the bracket, you also have Lorenzo Sonego, who is the sixth seed, and Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who is the eighth seed. Keep an eye on Laslo Djere, who could come in and take some by surprise.
Casper Ruud began his 2022 season by winning two of his three ATP Cup group matches. He hurt himself prior to the Australian Open and had to withdraw from the competition. He reached the final of the Argentina Open after his comeback, where he would face Diego Schwartzman for the trophy.
Ruud has swiftly established himself as a top clay-court player; however, he has only reached the finals of ATP 250 tournaments. The second seed will be hungry to improve on that statistic.
He’ll face either Benoit Paire or Francisco Cerundolo in the second round of the Rio Open after a first-round bye. The World No. 8 is expected to win and go to the quarterfinals.
In the first round, Lorenzo Sonego, a semifinalist at the Argentina Open last week, will meet former Rio Open winner Laslo Djere. Based on his current form, the Italian is predicted to win, but a strong showing from his opponent might result in an early departure for the sixth seed. In the following round, the winner will face either Felipe Meligeni Alves or a qualifier for a quarterfinal berth, where they would most likely face Ruud.
Diego Schwartzman has regained his stride on the South American clay tour after an up-and-down start to the season. He reached the semifinals of the Cordoba Open after exiting the Australian Open in the second round and now meets Ruud for the Argentina Open championship.
In 2018, Schwartzman won the Rio Open. Following a first-round bye, he’ll face either wildcard Shang Juncheng or Pedro Martinez in the second round this year. Following Juan Martin del Potro’s withdrawal, the Chinese prodigy will make his ATP main draw debut; however, neither he nor Martinez are likely to get past the third seed and into the quarterfinals.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas won the Cordoba Open but was knocked out of the Argentina Open in the first round the following week. In the opening round of the Rio Open, he will face a qualifier. In the second round, the victor will face either previous champion Pablo Cuevas or Pablo Andujar.
Ramos-Vinolas and Andujar appear to be the most likely to advance to the last eight, where Schwartzman awaits.
Rio Open Prediction: Who is the Best Money on?
Berrettini and Ruud appear to be the two players in this competition that can go the distance. Ruud, who is 23 years old, has shown to be a powerhouse on clay courts. He hasn’t made it past the ATP 250 level, though.
Berrettini has had previous success. He is the first man born in the 1990s to reach the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
It’s also worth keeping a watch on Schwartzman. He has won the event in Rio before, so he knows what he’s doing. However, given Berrettini’s form and Ruud’s desire to establish himself in 2022, expect Berrettini to go the distance.
Ruud looks to be the one here that will have the most action as he is the top player in the event. This is going to be an event where five or six people could actually win, however.
There could be great value in the players with the second to fifth-best chance to win. I would take Ruud for this week as he dominates on clay.
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