Marco Cecchinato vs Mackenzie McDonald Prediction and Odds: Italian Open 2023

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The first rounds have been set for the 2023 Italian Open. And for this match it’s the world number 83, Cecchinato, taking on the world number 55, McDonald. Check out my predictions for this game here.

These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing.

Cecchinato vs McDonald – Match Predictions

Because the Italian Open is a clay court event, of course, it is more suited to the guys that perform best on this surface. So in the case of Cecchinato against McDonald, it’s definitely a match where the Italian has the upper hand. Not only that, but McDonald hasn’t registered an ATP-level win during the clay court swing. He even dropped down to Challenger level last week, but still lost his opening round.

In contrast, Cecchinato qualified for the Madrid Open and made the second round last week. He’s also playing in his home tournament, which will give him an added boost. So which way will this one swing? Here are my top two predictions:

Cecchinato to Win

Given how suited his game is for the clay, and based on his successes in this event in the past, I am definitely shooting for a Cecchinato win. He also has the home advantage against the American, which will give him added motivation to get through this first round. And with the current odds, this market seems all the more appealing.

Set Betting – Cecchinato 2-0

While I believe that Cecchinato will win, I also believe that he will take the win in straight sets. Since McDonald hasn’t won a clay court match all season long, his confidence will be low going into this one. And when he faces long rallies combined with an excitable Italian crowd, I feel he could fade rather quickly. 

Cecchinato vs McDonald Preview

You’ve seen my top two tennis predictions today for this match. But now, let me give you an additional preview for each player.

Marco Cecchinato Preview

Cecchinato might be down at 83 in the world, but he can play at a top 20 level, if not higher when it comes to the clay court tournaments. Don’t forget – this man has made the semi-finals of the French Open in the past. So he clearly knows a thing or two about getting the job done on the dirt. 

Mackenzie McDonald Preview

McDonald is the higher-ranked player of these two guys. However, I don’t believe that his ranking carries too much weight when deciding who will grab the win here. Additionally, McDonald’s game is very much suited to quicker surfaces like hard courts, which is why he struggles on the clay.

Cecchinato vs McDonald Head to Head

Interestingly, it’s McDonald who has the head-to-head lead over Cecchinato. The two have only played once in the past, and McDonald took the win. This was at the Australian Open, which is a hard-court event, and the match took place back in 2021. Of course, this is more than 2 years ago now, and the two have never played on clay.

Cecchinato vs McDonald Match Details

• Match Schedule – May 10th, 12:00 GMT
• Venue – Rome, Italy
• Viewing Options – Amazon Prime

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