Monte Carlo Masters 2021: Pablo Carreno Busta vs Stefano Travaglia preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (12) Pablo Carreno Busta vs Stefano Travaglia

Date: 13 April 2021

Tournament: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters 2021

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Claycourt

Prize money: €2,082,960

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

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Stefano Travaglia preview

Newly-crowned Andalucia Open champion Pablo Carreno Busta will begin his 2021 Monte Carlo Masters campaign against qualifier Stefano Travaglia in the first round.

Carreno Busta hadn't had the best of starts to 2021, to say the least. An injury forced him to retire midway against Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Australian Open, and at the subsequent Dubai Open the Spaniard suffered an opening round defeat to Marton Fucsovics.

However, Pablo Carreno Busta seems to have regained his mojo just in time for the European clay swing. He claimed his fifth career title by registering four impressive wins on the trot at Marbella, defeating solid claycourters like Jaume Munar and Albert Ramos-Vinolas along the way.

The 29-year-old has a poor record at Monte Carlo, where he has never progressed beyond the third round in four attempts. But Carreno Busta has been fairly successful on clay in general; the 12th seed has five final appearances on the surface, including two titles.

Another player comfortable with playing on clay is Stefano Travaglia, Carreno Busta's first opponent in Monte Carlo. But Travaglia has largely struggled on the tour since his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Great Ocean Road Open final earlier this year.

In the five events that the Italian has played since that tournament, he has lost in the opening round of each. Most recently, Travaglia suffered a three-set defeat against Gilles Simon in the first round of the Sardegna Open.

Unlike Carreno Busta, Travaglia will come into the Monte Carlo Masters woefully short on confidence.

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Stefano Travaglia head-to-head

Pablo Carreno Busta and Stefano Travaglia have never faced each other on tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Pablo Carreno Busta vs Stefano Travaglia prediction

Stefano Travaglia

Even though Pablo Carreno Busta recently put together a title-winning run at Marbella, it is unlikely that fatigue will be a factor for him against Stefano Travaglia. Carreno Busta has been afforded some rest before his first match in Monte Carlo, and he is also one of the fitter players on tour.

The Spaniard is a considerably more well-rounded player than Travaglia, and one of the toughest baseliners anyone can face. Carreno Busta will likely make things very difficult for the Italian, given that he's been in the groove on clay for more than a week.

Prediction: Pablo Carreno Busta to win in three sets.