Rome Masters 2021: Men’s Singles Draw Preview, Analysis and Prediction for Italian Open


Rome Masters 2021: Men’s Singles Draw Preview, Analysis and Prediction for Italian Open

Rome Masters 2021

Rome Masters 2021: The Italian Open 2021 will take place May 9-16, and will be the final Masters event to be played before the French Open. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal headline the field in Rome, seeded first and second respectively. Novak Djokovic is the defending champion, after he defeated Diego Schwartzman in the finals last year.

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Rafael Nadal has won the Italian Open on nine occasions, and will look to enter double figures this year. Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are among the other high profile names who will compete in Rome, next week.

Tournament Details:

  • Tournament: Rome Masters 2021
  • Date: May 9 to May 16, 2021
  • Number of Entrants: 64 (Singles), 32(Doubles)  
  • Venue: Rome, Italy
  • Surface: Clay Court
  • Prize Money: €2,082,960
  • Defending champion: Novak Djokovic

Top seeds at Rome Masters 2021:

  • Novak Djokovic
  • Rafael Nadal
  • Daniil Medvedev
  • Dominic Thiem
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas

Rome Masters 2021: Draw Analysis and Prediction

Top Half

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas

First Quarter

Novak Djokovic, top seed at the Italian Open 2021 is in the top half of the draw. The Serbian has received a bye in the first round, and is expected to face Dan Evans in the second round. Evans had defeated the top seed, earlier at the Monte Carlo Masters in the third round. However, this time, Djokovic is expected to emerge victorious. In the third round, he will face the 16th seed, Grigor Dimitrov who opens his campaign against a qualifier.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has received a bye in the first round clash, and will face Marin Cilic in the second round. The Greek who won the Monte Carlo Masters last month, is expected to clash against Matteo Berrettini in the third round. The Italian has been in red-hot form, as he claimed the title in Serbia, and has also reached the semifinals in Madrid. However, Stefanos Tsitsipas is likely to progress into the quarterfinals with a win over the ninth seed.

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Player to Watch out for: Daniel Evans

1st Quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Second Quarter

Dominic Thiem has a tricky draw, as he will face Marton Fucsovics in the second round. A clash against Alex de Minaur awaits in the third round. However, given the form the Austrian is in at the moment, he is expected to book a quarterfinals berth. Andrey Rublev is expected to face the Spaniard, Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round. The Spaniard will defeat the youngster, and will progress into the quarterfinals to face Dominic Thiem.

Player to Watch out for: Roberto Bautista Agut

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2nd Quarterfinal: Dominic Thiem vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Bottom Half

Daniil Medvedev

Third Quarter

Daniil Medvedev has also received a bye in the first round, and will face the Russian star, Aslan Karatsev in a thrilling second round fixture. If he gets past the second round, the Russian will face either of Lorenzo Sonego or Hubert Hurkacz in round three. In the quarterfinals, he will face Diego Schwartzman who reached the finals of the Italian Open last year. Schwartzman will face Felix Auger Aliassime in the second round, with a potential third round clash against David Goffin.

Player to Watch out for: Aslan Karatsev

3rd Quarterfinal: Diego Schwartzman vs Daniil Medvedev

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Fourth Quarter

Rafael Nadal has been handed the toughest possible draw. After receiving a bye in the first round, he will face Jannik Sinner in the second round. Next up, will be Casper Ruud in the third round. The Norwegian is in great form at the moment, having reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open 2021. In the quarterfinals, he is expected to clash against Alexander Zverev once again. The German defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of Madrid Masters in straight sets on Friday.

Player to Watch out for: Jannik Sinner

4th Quarterfinal: Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev

Quarterfinal

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev is the sixth seed at the Rome Masters 2021

The first quarterfinal will be a rematch of the French Open semifinal last year, where Novak Djokovic battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. The match will be a three set thriller, with the Serbian just edging out Tsitsipas. The second quarterfinal will feature Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut. The Austrian is expected to claim a straight sets victory over the experienced Spaniard, and progress into the last four.

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Daniil Medvedev will continue his dominance over Diego Schwartzman, as he will defeat him in the third quarterfinal. The Russian has had a torrid time on clay courts in the past years, but is expected to do well in Rome. Rafael Nadal will avenge his loss against Alexander Zverev in the last quarterfinal, as the Spaniard continues his quest to win a 10th title in Rome.

1st Semifinal: Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem

2nd Semifinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Rafael Nadal

Semifinal

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters title last year

Novak Djokovic will battle past Dominic Thiem in a three set contest in the semifinals. The duo played a brilliant match against each other at the Nitto ATP Finals last year. The Serbian will reach his third consecutive final in Rome.

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Rafael Nadal will score a straight sets victory over Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, and will end the Russian’s run in Rome. The Spaniard is expected to bounce back, after his quarterfinal loss at the Madrid Open.

Final: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal

Rome Masters 2021: Final

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal will lift the title in Rome

The 2021 Italian Open final will be a rematch of the final in 2019, where Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in three sets. This time, there will be a similar result, as Nadal will battle past the Serbian in another three set victory. With his victory, he will claim his tenth title in Rome, and his second of the season.

To Lift the Title: Rafael Nadal

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Also Read: ATP Madrid Open 2021: Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem-Preview, Head to Head and Prediction