On a hardcourt as fast as what we are witnessing in Melbourne over the last week, there is only one player I want to be on in this match-up.
Mackenzie McDonald looked to handle the conditions relatively well last week, defeating Richard Gasquet in straight sets before falling to Alex Bolt in a tight three setter. He improved his break point conversion in Melbourne, after only converting 1/7 in a loss to Sam Querrey in Delray Beach prior to quarantine. His consistency and ability off both wings is just the type of player I want to side with against a player like Marco Cecchinato.
Fajing Sun, Damir Dzumhur and Leonardo Mayer. These are the only three players that Cecchinato has defeated on hardcourt since the 2019 US Open. You could perhaps make a case for him on a much slower hardcourt, however this is going to play into the hands of McDonald far too much to pass up.
McDonald is the more consistent of the two, and on recent hardcourt form, including in these conditions last week, I am happy to take McDonald at the -4.5 game handicap for 2 units.
Suggested Bet
2 units McDonald -4.5 games vs Cecchinato at $1.91 (-110) at Unibet