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Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Date: February 15, 2024
Tournament: Argentina Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay court
Prize Money: $642,615
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel; UK - Sky Sports; Canada: TSN
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Camilo Ugo Carabelli preview
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz opens his title defence at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
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World No. 2 Alcaraz is back in action after a quarterfinal defeat at the Australian Open last month. The 20-year-old dropped only one set in his first four matches before losing to Alexander Zverev in four sets in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz was all at sea in the first two sets, winning only four games. A straight-set defeat looked to be in the offing when Zverev served for the match. However, the Spaniard broke back to force a tiebreak, which he won, to extend the contest.
That would be as good as it got for Alcaraz, as Zverev reasserted his dominance in the contest, taking the set 6-4 to send the former World No. 1 packing. Alcaraz will hope to return to winning ways in the Argentine capital.
In his maiden appearance at the Argentina Open, the Spaniard dropped his only set against Laslo Djere in the first round. He reeled off three straight-set wins, including one over Cameron Norrie in the final, to open his 2023 season with a title.
Meanwhile, the 134th-ranked Carabelli is making his season debut. However, the 24-year-old is coming off a title on the Challenger Tour, beating Federico Coria in the final to take the Piracicaba title, going 10-0 in sets during the week.
Earlier, the Argentine fell in the third round of qualifying at the Australian Open last month before making the second round at the Punta del Este Challenger.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli head-to-head
The two players haven't locked horns before on Tour, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Camilo Ugo Carabelli odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Camilo Ugo Carabelli prediction
Both Alcaraz and Ugo Carabelli like to dominate opponents from the back of the court, but that's where the similarities in their game styles end.
Alcaraz is one of the sport's best young players and is tipped for greatness. The former World No. 1 has already won two major titles before his 21st birthday and has few conceivable weaknesses.
Armed with a strong serve, powerful groundstrokes off both flanks and elite athleticism and temperament, the Spaniard is a formidable package. Ugo Carabelli, by contrast has played just five matches on Tour, going 2-3, making this matchup a mismatch on paper.
Expect the Spaniard to take a comfortable win.
Pick: Alcaraz in straight sets
