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Match details
Fixture: Tommy Paul vs Marco Cecchinato
Date: 15 October 2020
Tournament: Forte Village Sardegna Open
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Sardinia, Italy
Category: ATP 250 series
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €271,345
Match timing: Approx. 2 pm CEST, 5.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel
Tommy Paul vs Marco Cecchinato preview
American tennis star Tommy Paul registered a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over the unseeded Andrej Martin in the opening round of the Forte Village Sardegna Open. The seventh seed will now clash with local lad Marco Cecchinato in the Round of 16.
Tommy Paul has not enjoyed too many good results on European clay this year. He kicked off his clay-court season with a straight-sets defeat in the qualifying round of the Italian Open. Subsequently, he made it to the Hamburg Open main draw but lost to Andrey Rublev in the second round.
The World No. 58 then tamed James Duckworth in the first round of Roland Garros 2020. However, he fell just short against 28th seed Casper Ruud in a thrilling five-set encounter in the second round.
Tommy Paul's opponent, Marco Cecchinato, was once ranked as high as No. 16 in the world, but has now slipped to No. 103. The Italian player has a disappointing win-loss record of 5-10 in the 2020 season.
Cecchinato couldn't make much of an impression at the Rome Masters, losing in the second round. At Roland Garros, he beat Alex de Minaur and Juan Ignacio Londero in the first two rounds before going down to Alexander Zverev in the Round of 32.
In the first round at Sardinia, the Palermo-based player beat compatriot Gianluca Mager 5-7, 7-6, 6-2. Cecchinato would be looking to build on that positive result and make a deep run at his home event.
Tommy Paul vs Marco Cecchinato head-to-head
Tommy Paul and Marco Cecchinato have never crossed paths on the ATP tour, so their head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.
Tommy Paul vs Marco Cecchinato prediction
Although his clay-court season has not been too great, Tommy Paul's playing style suits this surface. His foot speed and forehand are quite impressive, and the seventh seed has shown in the past that he has the potential to beat any player on his day.
Marco Cecchinato meanwhile has struggled even more than Paul in 2020. Even in his first-round match against Mager, Cecchinato had to save a match point.
The match on Thursday will likely be a three-set encounter, but Tommy Paul should have enough in his arsenal to eventually emerge victorious.
Prediction: Tommy Paul to win in three sets.
