The Sichuan International Tennis Center plays fast, and that reshapes this matchup before a ball is struck. Chengdu is one of the quicker setups on the ATP calendar, which puts a premium on serving and first-strike tennis rather than extended rallies.
Lorenzo Sonego is built for it. His serve and forehand combination is most effective when the court gives him free points and short replies, and he is comfortable playing the abbreviated exchanges these conditions produce. He also sits in what looks like the most open section of the draw, with Sebastian Baez, Jenson Brooksby, Miomir Kecmanovic and Botic van de Zandschulp all around him and none of them clearly ahead of the rest.
James Duckworth is not an easy first opponent. The Australian serves well enough to hold his own in quick conditions and has the flat groundstrokes to trade from the baseline. His problem is consistency across a full match, and at this stage of his career the physical demands of deep runs have been the limiting factor.
Sonego should have the better weapons in shorter points and the better return.
Sonego in straight sets.