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This week the ATP world tour heads to Rome for the fifth Masters 1000 event of the year. It shapes as one of the most important clay court tournaments of the season, providing the final preparation for many of the top players before the French Open.
The big guns
The top half of the draw is packed with superstars as, well as many of the up-and-coming contenders.
Top seed Novak Djokovic has been in sublime form in 2015, claiming a fifth Australian open title as well as three Masters series events.
Djokovic faces a potential rematch of the 2014 US Open semi-final against fifth seed Kei Nishikori in the quarter finals. A blockbuster semi-final against Andy Murray also looms as a possibility.
The in-form Murray is coming of back to back clay court titles in successive weeks. This has also marked the first two clay court triumphs of his career. Murray faces a tough task this week however, with potential matches against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer and Djokovic in his half of the draw.
If Murray and Djokovic were to make it through to the semi-finals, it would set up a fourth encounter less than halfway through the year. Djokovic has taken all three of those matches with relative ease, including strong wins at the Australian Open and Masters 1000 events in Miami and Indian Wells.
The bottom half of the draw also contains a number of mouth-watering potential match ups.
If Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer can get back to their winning ways, they are due for a 34th career meeting in the semi-finals. Nadal is worryingly out of form however, and has had his worst start to a clay court season in over a decade.
Despite being seeded fourth, he has slipped to seventh in the ATP rankings. This is the first time he has been ranked outside the top five for a decade.
Federer will also be looking to atone for shock loses to Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios in recent weeks on the red dirt. He will however come in with some confidence, claiming his first title in Turkey two weeks ago.
Nadal is drawn to play eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarters, while second seed Federer is drawn to play big hitting Czech Tomas Berdych in a blockbuster quarter final.
Dark horses
Nick Kyrgios will pose a threat to any player he faces in Rome, having adapted to clay better than most would have expected.
He is seemingly enjoying the extra time from the back of the court, while his huge serve is as damaging as ever.
Kyrgios enjoyed an epic third-set tie-break victory over Federer last week in Madrid, and will be looking to back that up with a strong opening against 11th seed Feliciano Lopez.
A win would set up an intriguing second round encounter with fellow Aussie Bernard Tomic. The volatile Tomic must first get over unseeded Serbian Victor Troicki.
Things won’t get any easier for Kyrgios from there. He is drawn to face Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic in successive rounds. Kyrgios is not one lacking in confidence however, and it wouldn’t be past him to make a run to the quarter finals.
Another one to look out for this week is the huge serving American John Isner. The 6 foot 10 giant has been in good form recently, making the quarter finals in Madrid last week. He also posted impressive results in previous Masters tournaments this season. It has taken strong performances from Nadal in Monte Carlo and Djokovic in the Miami semis to stop him going even deeper in those events.
A potential third-round encounter with Nadal awaits and if Isner was to ever beat Nadal on clay this is his time.
If Isner can get through that match the draw could open up more than in previous years. He would back himself to get over Wawrinka in the quarters and a potential semi-final against either Federer or Berdych is not as daunting as it once would have seemed.
Prediction
The final will take place between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic should cruise through to the semis and should take care of Andy Murray in three sets despite his clay court success so far this season.
Nadal on the other hand, is bereft of confidence and looks a shell of the player he once was. However, like so many times throughout career, he will be able to fight his way through the draw and set up a 44th career meeting with Djokovic.
The Djokovic-Nadal final will be the second meeting on clay this European Summer. Djokovic claimed the first encounter with a routine straight-sets victory in Monte Carlo.
Novak has also claimed five of his last six meetings against Nadal and will continue his winning ways with a comprehensive performance in the final.
This win will extend Djokovic’s perfect Masters record this year to 4 and 0, and give him another boost in his quest for a maiden French Open crown early next month in Paris.
Final
Novak Djokovic to defeat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4.
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