FULL DRAW 🖨

Full Printable Draw PDF 🖨 (Singles)

DRAW TL;DR

Top Half - QF’s If Seeds Hold

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Del Potro 🇦🇷

🇩🇪 Zverev vs Nishikori 🇯🇵

Bottom Half - QF’s If Seeds Hold

🇨🇭 Federer vs Tsitsipas 🇬🇷

🇪🇸 Nadal vs Thiem 🇦🇹

PROJECTED PATHS FOR TOP 4

Djokovic (1) (Top Half)

R1: Bye

R2: CarrenoBusta/Shapovalov

R3: Cecchinato/Kohlschreiber

QF: Del Potro/Medvedev/Kyrgios/Wawrinka

SF: Nishikori/Zverev/Monfils/Cilic

F: Nadal/Thiem/Federer

Summary: A good draw in that he avoided Thiem in his half or quarter. Should have no trouble with Carreno Busta or Shapovalov in current form, but Kohlschreiber or Cecchinato can both trouble Novak if they catch fire (unlikely though). Djokovic should be happy with his potential quarter finals opponents given Delpo’s lack of fitness and Kyrgios’ allergy to clay. Medvedev could be interesting but will probably struggle to get that far and Wawrinka is still an unknown quantity at the moment (looked brilliant this week in Madrid until he got routined by Nadal). The fact remains that the only two players that Djokovic would struggle with in good form are on the other side of the draw (Nadal/Thiem). Prediction: Final/Title

Zverev (4) (Top Half)

R1: Bye

R2: Pouille/Berrettini

R3: Monfils/Schwartzman

QF: Nishikori/Cilic/Pella

SF: Djokovic/Wawrinka/Medvedev/DelPotro

F: Nadal/Thiem/Federer

Summary: An OK draw, but given Pouille’s recent uptick in form and Monfils looming in Rd 3, it’s easy to see ways Zverev could slip up much earlier than he’d like. The German is defending final points but he’d do very well to come close to a repeat performance. Prediction: QF.

Federer (3) (Bottom Half)

R1: Bye

R2: J.Sousa/Tiafoe

R3: Coric/Auger-Aliassime

QF: Tsitsipas/Fognini

SF: Nadal/Thiem

F: Djokovic

Summary: Tough-ish draw for Federer (update: who is playing Rome), who got Thiem & Nadal in his half (although can only play one of them). Sousa/Tiafoe should be light work, but Coric/Auger-Aliassime could be difficult on the slow courts of the Foro Italico. Fognini would probably be the favourite in current form on clay. Prediction: QF/SF

Nadal (2) (Bottom Half)

R1: Bye

R2: Gasquet/Chardy

R3: Basilashvili/Djere/Fucsovics

QF: Thiem/Verdasco/Khachanov

SF: Tsitsipas/Federer

F: Djokovic

Summary: Drew the short straw by getting Thiem in his quarter, which is far earlier than these two should be meeting on clay. Should cruise through Rd 2 and 3 (even if Basilashvili *could* get interesting if he catches fire). Thiem may struggle to get to the Quarter-Final stage given his record vs Verdasco (0-3), although the Spaniard looked to have a few physical issues in Madrid this week. Prediction: Pretty much binary between a quarter final or the final. And much may depend on how deep Nadal goes in Madrid this weekend (Nadal hasn't won the Madrid/Rome double since 2013).

EARLY MATCHES TO WATCH OUT FOR 🔥

🔥 - Potentially Good

🔥🔥 - Potentially Great

🍿 - GRAB THE POPCORN

—

Rd 1’s:

Medvedev vs Kyrgios 🔥🌶

Wawrinka vs Goffin 🔥

Dimitrov vs Struff

Tsonga vs Fognini 🔥

Coric vs Auger-Aliassime 🔥🔥

—

Rd 2's (possible):

Djokovic vs Shapovalov 🔥

Del Potro vs Wawrinka 🔥

Cecchinato vs Kohlschreiber 🔥🔥

A.Zverev vs Pouille 🔥

Monfils vs Schwartzman 🔥

Nishikori vs Pella 🔥🔥

Tsitsipas vs Sinner 🔥

Thiem vs Verdasco 🔥🔥

Bautista Agut vs Khachanov 🔥

Basilashvili vs Djere 🔥

—

Rd 3’s (possible):

Djokovic vs Cecchinato/Kohlschreiber 🔥

Medvedev or Kyrgios vs Delpo or Wawrinka 🔥

Zverev vs Monfils 🔥🔥

Tsitsipas vs Fognini 🍿

Federer vs Coric/FAA 🔥

Nadal vs Basilashvili 🔥

PLAYERS REACT TO THEIR DRAW

— Will Nick do a thing vs Medvedev in the 1st Rd? (Tweet)

— Medvedev preparing to get saltier than Lot’s wife when Kyrgios pulls out the underarm serve.

— Gasquet assesses his chances of winning a set vs Nadal in Rd 2.

— Shapo’s projected Rd 2 in Madrid: Nadal

— Shapo’s projected Rd 2 in Rome: Djokovic

— When Federer lands in Rome and realises serve and volley on those mud-slow courts is going to be about as successful as a Bernard Tomic motivational speaking tour.

— Some of the ATP’s younger stars get a chance to bond at the Rome Player Party

PREDICTIONS

Quarter-Finals

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Wawrinka 🇨🇭

Winner: Djokovic

🇩🇪 Zverev vs Nishikori 🇯🇵

Winner: Nishikori

🇮🇹 Fognini vs Federer 🇨🇭

Winner: Fognini

🇪🇸 Nadal vs Khachanov 🇷🇺

Winner: Nadal

Semi-Finals

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Nishikori 🇯🇵

Winner: Djokovic

🇪🇸 Nadal vs Fognini 🇮🇹

Winner: Nadal

Final

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Nadal 🇪🇸

Winner: Djokovic

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GAME, SET & MATCH👋

— The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt.

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See you later today for the Madrid Semi-Finals!