Sebastian Ofner, Austria’s number one in tennis, knows his first round opponent at the ATP Masters 1000 competition in Rome.
He meets the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka.
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Look for the shape
The Styrian can therefore expect a feasible solution to overcome his current low form. With the exception of the competition in Hong Kong, which took place at the beginning of the year, the Austrian has not been able to win two consecutive games.
Most recently he suffered a defeat in two sets (3:6, 3:6) against clay court specialist Pedro Cachin in Madrid, but also referred to his fitness level.
“I’m a bit physically weak. I got an inflammation in my throat at the weekend and I don’t feel 100 percent physically fit,” said the 27-year-old after the game.
With Nishioka, he is currently facing a stumbling opponent who was recently eliminated early from the Challenger tournament in Cagliari. In both Madrid and Barcelona, the 28-year-old, who usually feels less comfortable on the clay surface, was already over in the first round.
Dimitrov is waiting
Should Ofner overcome the Nishioka hurdle, he would meet eighth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. The 32-year-old can already boast a semi-final appearance in Miami, a final appearance in Marseille and a tournament victory in Brisbane this calendar year.
In addition to Ofner, Jurij Rodionov could also take part in the main competition in Rome. However, he has to go through the qualification – in which he meets the Dutchman Jesper De Jong in the first round. Dominic Thiem is known to be skipping the competition in Rome.
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2024-05-06 11:35:04
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