Botic van de Zandschulp vs Nicolas Moreno de Alboran Prediction, Stats, Form, H2H, May 9th

Our second ATP preview of the day from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia looks at Botic van de Zandschulp vs Nicolas Moreno de Alboran in a matchup of a struggling main tour pro against an in-form and strong clay courter from the Challenger Tour. Our van de Zandschulp vs Moreno de Alboran prediction at 2.73 odds is available below!

Moreno de Alboran’s win probability is only 36.6% while van de Zandschulp is favoured to win at 1.50 odds. The handicap is three games and the total games line is 22.5.

Our van de Zandschulp vs Moreno de Alboran is for Moreno de Alboran to win.

van de Zandschulp vs Moreno de Alboran Prediction: In Form Challenger Underdog In With a Chance Against Struggling Dutchman

• Prediction: Moreno de Alboran to win
• Best Odds: 2.73
• Bookmaker: Pinnacle
• Stakes: 2/10

Odds as at 12:00 am UK Time on May 9th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

There may be a talent gap between these two that the market believes is wider than I do. I can’t have the gulf in implied probabilities between these two extending further than 60-40 (even that may be giving the 28-year-old credit) at this point.

Is Moreno de Alboran more of a Challenger Tour player at this point? Sure. My question is, what exactly makes van de Zandschulp a bona fide tour level professional at this point? He’s out of the top 100, in really poor form, leaking errors with regularity on the court, and has losses to players in the 50-100 ranking range on surfaces that aren’t even their best.

Moreno de Alboran may not have a slew of marquee victories on his resume (more on that in a second), but he’s been winning matches and has a decent first serve, along with a spin-heavy forehand that should work on clay and be effective against an opponent that has had a tough time finding the range consistently with his groundstrokes.

Head on over to the expert insights section for more tennis previews in Rome on Thursday!

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Botic van de Zandschulp Recent Form

His qualifying wins were the first that van de Zandschulp has managed at the same event all season. With one coming against Zachary Svajda – who is pitiful on the red clay – colour me unimpressed.

I’ll give him credit for beating Facundo Bagnis with relative ease, but that’s about all that he deserves credit for this year. The tall Dutchman has looked underpowered for his size, doesn’t get as many cheap points with his first serve and his backhand continues to be a major issue.

This is a match that in other years he should, and probably would, win with no problems. Now, however, I’m not so sure. Some of his losses have been rather lopsided, and he’s not playing a slouch coming up from the Challenger circuit.

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Nicolas Moreno de Alboran Recent Form

What an opportunity for the American here to potentially reach a new career-high ranking. Though he’s amassed a decent amount of wins this season – including on the main tour – a lot of them have come in qualifying draws, so the points haven’t been there.

Now taking on van de Zandschulp, who is out of form, and then Felix Auger Aliassime if he wins, who did very well in Madrid but barely played to win several matches, Moreno de Alboran could very well make a push to the top-100 this week.

The 26-year-old has some nice wins against David Goffin, Facundo Diaz Acosta and Juan Pablo Varillas this clay season, but he’s also lost as a favourite a few times.

His first serve should play well anywhere, especially if he adds any spin and his forehand is hit with heavy spin, even in conditions that don’t suit it like on hard courts.

I’ve begun to realize that Moreno de Alboran is at his best when priced as an underdog in a match where he may have a matchup advantage to exploit. This match fits that bill.

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Botic van de Zandschulp H2H – Stat of the Match

No prior meeting between these two. That makes sense since they have been competing in different spheres on the pro tour for the most part in recent years.

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