Italian Open 2021: David Goffin vs Federico Delbonis preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (12) David Goffin vs Federico Delbonis

Date: 12 May 2021

Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Rome, Italy

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: $1,835,490

Match timing: Approx. 2 pm local time, 5.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

David Goffin vs Federico Delbonis preview

World No. 13 David Goffin will be hoping to go deep at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2021, but has a tricky match-up against resurgent Federico Delbonis in the second round on Wednesday.

Goffin, seeded 12th at the Foro Italico, has struggled for consistency over the last couple of years. The Belgian didn't have a good season in 2020 and lost early at nearly all big tournaments, even testing positive for COVID-19 at the end of the year.

But Goffin started his 2021 season in style. He reached the semifinals of the Antalya Open (losing to eventual champion Alex de Minaur) and won the title at Montpellier, where he beat fellow top 20 player Roberto Bautista Agut in the final.

Since then, however, Goffin has again failed to make much of an impact. He has accumulated a 7-6 win-loss record since Montpellier.

The Belgian did look in fine form against Salvatore Caruso in his Rome opener though, bagging nearly 60% of his return points en route to a 6-4, 6-1 win.

Federico Delbonis

Federico Delbonis, meanwhile, has struggled to win matches ever since the tour restart last year. But he has given a good account of himself during the European clay swing, managing to qualify for the Monte Carlo Masters (where he lost to Rafael Nadal), the Madrid Open (where he lost to eventual finalist Matteo Berrettini) and now the ongoing Italian Open.

The World No. 64 entered the main draw in Rome after beating Marcos Giron and Frances Tiafoe in his two qualifying matches. And in his first-round match on Monday, Delbonis made a sensational comeback against the much higher-ranked Karan Khachanov.

The Argentine was trailing Khachanov by a set before he launched an epic comeback and eventually bagelled the Russian in the deciding set.

David Goffin vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head

The second-round match between the pair is their second official meeting, with David Goffin currently leading Federico Delbonis 1-0 in the head-to-head. Their only previous meeting came at the 2015 Davis Cup, where Goffin beat Delbonis in straight sets.

David Goffin vs Federico Delbonis prediction

David Goffin

David Goffin is an aggressive baseliner who likes to take the ball on the rise. He has accurate groundstrokes on both wings, and his down-the-line backhand in particular often produces spectacular winners.

Goffin uses his consistency and footwork to move players around on clay, and his impressive array of shots can also help him hit through them.

Federico Delbonis, on the other hand, has a spin-heavy game. The Argentine takes long backswings on both his forehand and serve, and looks to impart a lot of topspin on the ball.

While this tactic works well for Delbonis in terms of generating depth from the baseline, it also leaves his groundstrokes vulnerable to quick-strike attacks.

With that in mind, Goffin will look to step into the court on Wednesday and take time away from Delbonis. And if the Belgian keeps his head clear, that strategy is likely to earn him rich rewards

Prediction: David Goffin to win in three sets.