The Italian Open continues the action on the slowest surface in tennis. Dušan Lajović is set to play against the local favorite, Lorenzo Sonego in the round of 128. After failing to qualify for the Monte Carlo Masters, he managed to reach the semifinal of the Barcelona Open. He would then be eliminated from the Madrid Open in the first round.

Sonego has played four clay tournaments so far but only found one victory in the main draw of each tournament. He will face a big challenge in Lajović, who has shown some good matches. 

Dušan Lajović vs Lorenzo Sonego: Preview

Dušan Lajović lost to Thiago Monteiro in the Madrid Open 4-6, 3-6. The Serbian player hit 2 aces and 1 double fault while winning 61% of points on first serve and 72% on second serve. Lajović could not take more than 9 serve points from Monteiro and also gave away 2 break points while winning none. He could not repeat his feats from the Barcelona Open in Madrid, which showed promise while serving and returning in the first two rounds.

Sonego won against Alex Michelsen 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 and then lost to Emilio Nava 6-7, 4-6 in the Cagliari Challenger. The Italian player hit seven aces and 8 double faults. He averaged 65% of points on the first serve and 58% of points on the second serve. Out of 18 break points, Sonego won 6 and gave 3 break points to each player. He had a solid return game against both opponents, winning 25 against Michelsen and 31 against Nava. 

Lajović vs Sonego: Head-to-Head

Dušan Lajović and Lorenzo Sonego have played against each other four times on the ATP Tour. Sonego leads the rivalry 3-1, but both have won an equal number of matches on clay.

• 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinal: Lajović 6-4, 7-5
• 2020 Rio Open round of 16: Sonego 7-6, 7-6
• 2020 Vienna Open round of 32: Sonego 6-4, 6-3
• 2023 Stockholm Open round of 32: Sonego 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Sonego has won their most recent matches. However, their clay clashes were held more than 4 years ago and their last bout was played more than half a year ago. The results of their current bout will depend on the momentum they bring into the tournament. 

Prediction: Sonego to move ahead to round of 64

Lajović is an unpredictable player. His form varies from tournament to tournament, which will not bode well for him against Sonego, who has shown control over his opponent’s serve. The crowd support will be another added advantage for Sonego, as they will cheer for the Italian. The former number 21 will also play on his favorite surface, which spells more trouble for the Serb.

Lajović did show promise in Barcelona but went right back to a lackluster show of tennis. If he manages to channel what made him great on Catalonian clay, he could give Sonego a tough fight and even overcome the player. For now, the local favorite has a better chance of moving ahead.