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Mixed martial arts Wednesday's ATP Marrakech Best Bet: April 6th
ATP Marrakech Best Bet: Kotov vs Griekspoor
Wednesday, April 6th, 12:00 (UK Time)
After a washout on Day 1 of the Marrakech ATP 250 tournament, there are still some first-round matches to be completed on Day 3. One of those ties features two players who, until recently, have primarily plied their trade on the Challenger Tour.
2022 promised to be a breakthrough season for Tallon Griekspoor: he finished 2021 with a run of 25 successive victories, which saw him win five consecutive Challenger titles. However, it hasn’t gone to plan for the Dutchman on the main tour yet. He has only progressed past the second round on one occasion in the seven tournaments he has participated in so far this year.
Griekspoor will hope the return of the clay swing represents an opportunity for him to recapture his devastating form of last year when he experienced plenty of success on clay courts. The 25-year-old won six Challenger titles on the ‘red dirt’ in 2021 and ended the year with a 37-12 win-loss ratio on clay. Even on the slower courts, Griekspoor can effectively combine his big first serve with his powerful forehand to dominate rallies and hit plenty of winners.
His first obstacle in Morocco is 23-year-old Pavel Kotov. The young Russian negotiated his way through qualifying for the first time this year, having failed to do so in Doha and Dubai. Although Kotov has demonstrated his ability on the hard courts, winning the Forli Challenger title in January, he hasn’t proven to be as successful on the clay during his career.
His 2021 win-loss record on clay courts stood at 7-11. During that period, Kotov only played one match on the ATP main tour (in Parma), which suggests he should struggle at this level.
Given that Griekspoor has a far superior record on the clay, I’m confident he will end his poor run of form and win this matchup. The Dutchman’s attacking game style should blow Kotov away and, as a result, I will be backing him to win with a -3.5 game handicap.
- Selection: Griekspoor -3.5 game handicap
- Best Odds: 1.96 (Unibet)
- Stakes: 7/10
