Acapulco Open: Diego Schwartzman vs. Lorenzo Musetti 3/16/21 Tennis Prediction

Third seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman faces Qualifier Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the First Round of the 2021 Acapulco Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Tuesday March 16th, 2021 at 8:00pm EST. 

Can the young Italian star cause a stunning upset as he has done before in the past? Or will Diego Schwartzman continue his fine form and advance to the Round of 16 here in Acapulco?

Diego Schwartzman is currently ranked number nine in the world and has continued his great 2020 form into this new season. He recently won the title on clay at the Buenos Aires Open, and has built up some serious momentum from the end of the 2020 season until now. He has added a new dimension to his game, being much more attacking and taking the ball even earlier than usual. He has always been a brilliant counterpuncher, and is one of the best movers on tour but with this new addition to his game he is now a serious threat on every surface. It remains to be seen how his game translates from the clay courts to hard, but for someone with his quality I do not expect it to be an issue. He enters this match as the strong favorite and is expected to go deep into this tournament. 

Lorenzo Musetti is one of the most promising youngsters in world tennis today. He stunned the tennis world late last year at the 2020 Italian Open where he upset Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori en route to the Round of 16. This proves that he is capable of some great tennis, and does not back down from a challenge. However, he has not had any results of note since, playing almost exclusively on the Challenger Tour. He has a big game, with a particularly outstanding backhand. He is capable of outhitting his Argentine opponent, however it is very unlikely that he will be able to handle Schwartzman’s consistency and unique counterpunching ability. He is the big underdog here and will have to play the match of his life to have any chance. 

I think that Musetti is one of the future, and it is only a matter of time before he is among the world’s best. However, he is not yet ready to compete with someone of Schwartzman’s level and experience. I expect Diego Schwartzman to control this match from start to finish, winning in straight sets.