ATP Abierto Mexicano Telcel Odds and Draw Preview
Alcaraz, Norrie, Ruud Highlight Stellar Cast
The ATP Tour stops in Acapulco for the ATP Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC –- an ATP 500 event that places Acapulco firmly on the tennis map. As ever, we bring you a betting primer, complete with an analysis of the draw and the latest 2023 ATP Mexican Open Betting Odds to spot.
The 2023 Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open
The Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament, running from February 27 to March 4, is held at the landmark Arena GNP Seguros since 2022, when the brand new facility first opened its doors to the public and saw record attendance that same year.
Since its inception in 2001, the tournament has grown exponentially over the last two decades. It attracts the best players from around the world to the popular beach resort destination on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and this year is no exception.
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is expected to lead a stellar 32-player draw that includes Rio Open champion Cameron Norrie and World No. 4 Casper Ruud. As well, World No. 5 Taylor Fritz will lead a 12-man-strong American contingent into Acapulco. These are just a few of the many players in attendance, promising top notch tennis betting action this week.
2022 ATP Acapulco Champion – Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open, beating Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in the final. It marked the Spaniard’s fourth Acapulco title and second since 2014, when the tournament moved away from its clay-court roots to its present day azure hard courts.
Admittedly, changing the surface proved to be a watershed moment in the tournament’s history, turning it into a popular warm-up event for the back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in March – the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Defending champion Nadal (injury) is not in attendance at this year’s installment of the ATP Acapulco tourney. That means a new champion will be crowned at the weekend.
Smart money is on top seed Alcaraz as per the ATP odds. But everything hinges on the Spaniard’s status after picking up a leg injury in Rio. The seriousness of his injury is unknown. That casts his bid to win his first-ever title in Acapulco in doubt.
ATP Acapulco Betting Highlights & Tips
- Alcaraz is the player to beat according to the 2023 ATP Mexican Open Betting Odds. He’s 8-1 on the season with a title in Buenos Aires and a runner-up finish to Norrie in Rio. That said, his leg injury is a concern and it could take the shine off of his odds.
- Norrie is coming off an impressive Latin American clay-court swing. He finished runner-up to Alcaraz in Buenos Aires and then beat the Spanish teemager in Rio, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. The quick turnaround and change of surface could be challenging for the Briton.
- American Fritz is coming off a title-winning run in Delray Beach, beating Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. Since suffering a second-round exit at the Australian Open, Fritz has reeled off a 6-1 run. Between his solid form and tempting and tempting ATP Mexican Open Betting Odds, he’s certainly worth the flutter.
- Ruud is making his first appearance since taking a second round loss at the Australian Open. As the second seed, high expectations precede the Norwegian. But his lack of match play makes him a wild card bet.
- Holger Rune is making his debut in Acapulco. The Danish teenager is a disruptor and a legitimate threat to the title. He’s 8-4 on the season with highlight runs at the Aussie Open (R16) and Rotterdam (semi-finals).
- American Tommy Paul is playing in his second tournament since his maiden Grand Slam semifinal appearance Down Under in January. He crashed out of the second round of Delray Beach last week.
- American Frances Tiafoe (3-2 on the season) and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini (3-3) are still searching for any semblance of consistent form.
ATP Acapulco Draw Analysis
Top Half of the Draw
Top Seeds: No. 1 Alcaraz, No. 3 Fritz, No. 6 Tiafoe and No. 7 Paul
No. 1 Alcaraz and No. 3 Fritz fall into the top half of the draw. Should this section fall in line with the top seeds, then the pair would collide in a blockbuster semifinal. However, before either can look that far ahead, they must contend with more immediate threats.
Alcaraz opens his bid against American Mackenzie MacDonald. In the R16, the Spaniard could come up against Brandon Nakashima. While the quarterfinals could serve up matchups against either Michael Mmoh, Marcos Giron, Tommy Paul or Emilio Gomez.
Fritz’s path to the final four begins with a tremendous matchup against veteran American John Isner. In the R16, he could face Delray Beach finalist Kecmanovic or Denis Shapovalov. The quarterfinals is where things could get tricky. No. 6 Tiafoe, dangerous floater Yoshihito Nishioka, wild card veteran Feliciano Lopez or American Christopher Eubanks could emerge.
Bottom Half Of The Draw
Top Seeds: No. 2 Ruud, No. 4 Rune, No. 5 Norrie and No. 8 De Minaur
Ruud and Rune are the top two seeds in the bottom half of the draw. Should they live up to their billing, the pair will reprise hostilities in the semis – things got heated in their last meeting when they crossed paths at Roland Garros (quarterfinals).
Ruud opens his bid against Guido Andreozzi in the R32. The winner will face the winner of J.J. Wolf versus Taro Daniel in the R16. Whereas the quarterfinals could see No. 8 Alex de Minaur, Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez, qualifier Jacopo Berrettini or Oscar Otte emerge.
Rune’s first round opponent is American Ben Shelton. The winner of that R32 match will take on the winner of Nick Chappell versus Nuno Borges. Then, in the quarterfinals, No. 5 Norrie, veteran Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, Matteo Berrettini or dangerous floater Alex Molcan could emerge.
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