Carlos Alcaraz Garfia will face Mateus Alves in the first round of the Rio Open. The match will start on February 21 at 22:00 UK time.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #1 – Handicap (-7) for Alcaraz – 1.58.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #2 – Total Games Under 18 – 1.445.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #3 – 1st Set Games Under 9.5 – 1.178.
Alcaraz Garfia played superbly at his first tournament of the year. Last week, remember, the 19-year-old Spaniard won the competition in Buenos Aires. We expect him to show quality play in Rio de Janeiro as well. All the more so as he will have to defend last year’s title on the local courts.
Alcaraz Garfia is in superb form. The Spaniard won the competition in Buenos Aires last week. The local Alves, ranked outside the top five in the world, will not be a problem for him at the start of the competition in Rio de Janeiro.
Carlos won the Argentina Open last week.
This season started a little late for the Spanish tennis player. Alcaraz took the title in his first tournament since his injury. Muscle problems forced him to miss the end of last season and the beginning of the current season.
In Buenos Aires, the 19-year-old dropped only one set in four matches.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Cameron Norrie in the final (6-3, 7-5). Before that, he defeated Laslo Djere (6-2, 4-6, 6-2), Dusan Lajovic (6-4, 6-2) and Bernabe Zapata Miralles (6-2, 6-2).
Alcaraz is the reigning champion of the Rio Open. Last year, he defeated Diego Schwartzman in the final.
Alcaraz has won two of his last three matches in two sets and with a game total of fewer than 18 games.
Alves, meanwhile, received a wild card from the tournament organisers.
This is the only way for the 555th-ranked player in the world to qualify for the main draw at the ATP 500 tournament straight away.
The 22-year-old Brazilian had only played three matches earlier this season. Mateus tried unsuccessfully to qualify for the Challengers in Argentina’s Tigre.
As a junior, he was the 29th-ranked player in the world in 2018 but has not progressed beyond the second round at the Junior Slams.
Type of Court – Indoor Hard
Speed of Court – 7/10
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia’s Rating – 2
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia Wins/Losses in 2023 – 3/0
Mateus Alves’s Rating – 554
Mateus Alves Wins/Losses in 2023 – 1/2
In 3 of Alves’ last 5 matches, less than 9.5 games have been played in the first set. We offer to bet on “1st Set Games Under 9.5” with odds of 1.178.
The score is tied at 0-0 in the head-to-head encounters. Alcaraz and Alves will play their first head-to-head match.
The match will be played in Center Court, Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
We recommend checking out the odds for the Rio Open: Carlos Alcaraz Garfia vs Mateus Alves at 1xBet and VBET.