2021 Italian Open Quarter-Final – Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka taking place? Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
When is Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka on and what time does it start? Friday 14th May, 2021 – Not before 09:00 (UK)
What surface is Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka being played on? Clay (outdoor)
Where can I get tickets for Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka? Click here for the latest ticket information
What channel is Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Federico Delbonis vs Reilly Opelka in the UK? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match live on Prime Video. Tennis TV subscribers can also stream the match live
THE PREDICTION
This is a pretty unlikely quarter-final tie at a Masters event as worlds number 64 Federico Delbonis and number 47 Reilly Opelka meet for the first time in their careers. To be fair to 30-year-old Delbonis his form has been excellent for several weeks now but Opelka’s sudden improvement did not look like it was coming on clay. The 23-year-old had a 2-7 record coming into Rome but has won three matches now without dropping a set, most impressively against Aslan Karatsev on Thursday to reach this stage. Both players have reached a similar career-high of 31 (Opelka) and 33 (Delbonis) but if they continue in this pattern they could be nearing that territory again this clay season, especially Delbonis who has pedigree on this surface with two clay titles to his name. Opelka also owns two titles on hard courts but this week has been all about building lost confidence and the 6’11” power-server is incredibly hard to break when he finds form.
There are so many ways this match could end it is difficult to side with anything. Delbonis has beaten three top 25 players to reach this stage and yet the way Opelka has been playing this week looks like it needs a Djokovic or Nadal to oust him – incredibly Opelka has not yet faced a break point in Rome. Take the American to win at least a set here as no matter how well Delbonis is playing he has not faced this different kind of challenge yet.
