By Ricky Dimon
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will likely be aiming for spots within the Rome quarterfinals after they take the courtroom on Thursday. The 2 all-time greats are going up in opposition to acquainted foes Stan Wawrinka and Denis Shapovalov, respectively.
Listed below are my previews and picks for the 2 matchups.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (WC) Stan Wawrinka
Wawrinka has turned again the clock to make a stunning look in spherical three of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. You need to flip it again even farther to seek out the final accomplished head-to-head match between these two veterans. That was the 2016 U.S. Open last, by which Wawrinka pulled off a superb 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 upset for his third Grand Slam title. In addition they confronted one another on the 2019 U.S. Open, however Djokovic retired from their fourth-round contest whereas trailing two units to like. Regardless of these outcomes, the top-ranked Serb has gained 19 of their 25 conferences (5 of six on clay, not counting retirements).
Heading into Rome, Djokovic and Wawrinka had gained a mixed seven matches in 2022 (all seven by Djokovic). Wawrinka is simply now getting back from a year-long damage absence and to date this week he has battled previous Reilly Opelka and Laslo Djere in three units. How far more can the 37-year-old’s physique take when it isn’t used to this a lot tennis in a brief period of time? Having to face Djokovic gained’t make issues any simpler–despite the fact that the No. 1 seed might not be in peak type. A semifinal run in Madrid was comparatively encouraging and Djokovic had no hassle erasing Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday. This can be a enjoyable matchup on paper, nevertheless it most likely gained’t final lengthy.
Decide: Djokovic in 2
(3) Rafael Nadal vs. (13) Denis Shapovalov
Nadal vs. Shapovalov is a rematch of the identical event and similar spherical final 12 months, when the Spaniard survived 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) on his technique to a tenth Rome title. Shapovalov additionally had Nadal on the ropes earlier this season on the Australian Open just for the Canadian to break down within the fifth set en path to a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 loss. General, the head-to-head collection stands at 4-1 in Nadal’s favor (2-0 on clay) and he has gained 4 in a row since falling to Shapovalov 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) on the 2017 Montreal Masters.
Like Djokovic, Nadal’s Madrid ouster got here by the hands of eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. However Rome typically fits the 35-year-old a lot better than Madrid; he’s a 10-time champion of this occasion and his bid for No. 11 acquired off to an emphatic begin with a 6-3, 6-1 beatdown of John Isner on Wednesday. Shapovalov has already handed two robust assessments within the type of Lorenzo Sonego (7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3) and Nikoloz Basilashvili (6-4, 7-6(5)). Nonetheless, the world No. 16 is simply 4-4 courting again to the Dubai semifinals. That is unlikely to be as aggressive as their memorable 2021 showdown.
Decide: Nadal in 2
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and likewise maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You possibly can observe him on twitter at @Dimonator.
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