Carlos Alcaraz vs Luca Nardi Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Nardi can cover a big +6.5 games line in Doha second round

I've got no doubt Alcaraz wins this match, but Nardi has the talent and ability to cover a +6.5 games line in defeat. Alcaraz has failed to cover this line in four of his last six matches, winning his Doha opener 6-4 6-4 over veteran Marin Cilic on Monday. Nardi has won nine of his last 12 matches at all levels and the only other time he faced a top five player, he beat Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year. The Italian can step up to the occasion and make this match competitive.

This will be the first career meeting between the pair.

It wasn't the ideal start to the season for Alcaraz, who wasted a great opportunity to secure his career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, losing to an injured Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

However, the Spaniard bounced back strongly in his return to action in Rotterdam, defeating Hurbert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur in the semis and final respectively to win his first indoor tour-level title.

Competing in a tour-level event in the Middle East for the first time this week, Alcaraz registered a 6-4 6-4 victory over Marin Cilic to launch his Doha title pursuit.

Alcaraz will have lots of motivation in the coming months due to Jannik Sinner's three-month doping ban, which will give him the chance to reclaim the No. 1 ranking.

Nardi broke into the top 100 last year on the back of his shock victory over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, but he hasn't really been able to progress further due to a lack of consistency.

Currently No. 84 in the world, Nardi didn't have a great January, losing in the second round of Auckland to Zizou Bergs and the first round of the Australian Open against Gabriel Diallo.

Dropping back down to the Challenger Tour, Nardi made the final in Koblenz to get some much-needed winning momentum, while he's secured three victories already this week in Doha, qualifying for the main draw and Zhizhen Zhang 6-4 6-3 in the opening round.