If Diego Schwartzman captures the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title on Monday afternoon, it will complete one of the most amazing Masters 1000 runs in recent memory.
It won’t be easy, to put it mildly.
But how much tougher can it get? Schwartzman already beat the King of Clay–nine-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal–and then outlasted Denis Shapovalov in a three-hour thriller one day later.
The Argentine’s reward is a final showdown against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is sweeping their head-to-head series 4-0. They faced each other in the semis of this same tournament last spring, when Djokovic prevailed 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3. Their most recent encounter came earlier this season at the Australian Open, where the Serb cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Of course, Schwartzman won’t be intimidated by a 0-4 lifetime record. He had previously been 0-9 against Nadal and 2-22 in total sets. Nonetheless, the world No. 14 pulled off a 6-2, 7-5 stunner on Saturday. Schwartzman, whose 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory over Shapovalov lasted three hours and 15 minutes, also defeated John Millman and Hubert Hurkacz en route to the title match.
Djokovic has advanced with defeats of Salvatore Caruso, Filip Krajinovic, Dominik Koepfer, and Casper Ruud, surrendering just one set to Koepfer along the way. This marks the top seed’s 10th Rome final and he can capture his fifth title at the Foro Italico.
Based on every factor, and especially the mental and physical effort that Schwartzman has put in throughout the event, this will likely be one-way traffic from start to finish.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
WWW?
All the players Djokovic faced are nothing like Schwartzman.I believe this match is going to be very close and Perphaps Diego winning.
No way Diego is winning, after playing three hours in the SF. Had he finished off Shapo earlier in two sets, perhaps he could win in the final. Djoko may even beat Diego in straight sets now.
Hey guys, it’s been a million years since I posted on here. Just wanted to leave my pick. I’ll give the animal schwartzman a set I mean come on I have to. Djoker in 3. Also early French Open prediction: Alcaraz Garfi qualifies for the main draw and maybe even wins a round. #nextnadal
Hi Benny! Good to see ya here. 🙂 Agree re Shortman. Alcaraz looks impressive too, but *there will never be another Nadal*!
Djokovic has been playing guys he should be walking over and he isn’t. But even Shortman has to be a leeetle tired after his heroics and Dennis pretty much gave the match away in the 3rd.
I find that young guy from Italy – Lorenzo Musetti – who beat Stan and then Kei in Rome, quite an impressive player and he looked a bit like young Rafa (with long hair but a bit skinny, unlike the chubby faced young Rafa). He may be one to look out for in the future, I think he’s only 18 years old. He could move around the court very quickly, not unlike the young Rafa.
I will be very surprised if Schwartzy beat Novak tonight…Very probably will fade away in no time…
Therefore Novak in 2…
Agree LS. I am still impressed by Shapo, his backhand is more aggressive than Tsitsi’s and even Fed’s. More like Wawrinka BH. Only if he could keep control on his UEs and double faults. All the credit to little Schartz, but Shapo let that slip through his fingers.
I agree w/Rick. Great run for Diego, but he can’t have too much left in the tank. Joker in straight.
Djoko complaining about the rain! Really!! He seemed pretty happy playing with it in the 2012 final 🙄
yes because that was against Nadal where rain was Djokovic’s advantage. No so against another very flat ball hitter in Diego.
But this will be a tall order for Diego.. hope the match will not be a short affair.. novak is after all head and shoulders above the competition
So glad Rafa is not playing this final in these conditions. Would probably be bageled by novak in these heavy conditions
Bageled? If Rafa is good enough to reach the final, beating Schwartzman and then Shapo, you think he would be bageled by Djoko? Djoko played poorly the first few games, Rafa would have won the first set by now, unlike Schwartzman….
Schwarzman’s problem is that during Djoko’s service games, he tends to stand so far back behind the baseline, hence his shots tend to be short, giving Djoko opportunities to move forward, and also drop shot Schwarzman with success so often. He’s no Rafa, he doesn’t have the power to hit from so far back; when he beat Rafa, he’s playing from close to the baseline. In this match, it’s only during his own service games that he plays close to the baseline.
Btw interesting tidbit.. it seems Novak has the made the most finals in his career at Rome.. !
Novak doing novak things.. wins a set being two breaks down. This man continues to amaze. Also he goes past Sampras in weeks at no.1 today
Another astonishing stat.. djoko winning first set in masters 1000 final is undefeated 28-0.. playing against the best players in the world in such finals, that is beyond ridiculous
Djoko wins another masters! And yet to lose a match without an asterisk😳 when will the streak end. If it does not end at rg, the indoor season is pretty much where he runs the table
Followed by ao and us masters where is no slouch either
Vmk can you please stop swooning over Nole all the time!😀😀
I like Nole but this swooning over him like a love sick swain is getting a bit much..!
I agree with Amy.
I mean, Djoko is not invincible, and I feel his draw at both Cincy and Rome were easy in that all the top seeds in his draw fell by the way side. He had not faced and beat a top ten player in both his Cincy and Rome wins!
His win at Rome wasn’t convincing, struggling all the way from Koepfer to Schwarzman; he’s basically grinding his way through and he’s better than anyone else in grinding!
Schwarzman had himself to blame by first making a mess against Shapo in the SF and spent so much time winning that match. He was 2 breaks up against Djoko in the first set, yet served poorly to lose one service game and from then on losing his grip on the set. Had he played closer to the baseline throughout the final, he would have a better chance of beating Djoko, at least having better chances of getting to the drop shots, but he simply stayed well behind the baseline during Djoko’s service games! That’s not the way to play against Djoko, even on clay.
Djoko wasn’t doing well at the IW/Miami masters since 2017, don’t understand why he would suddenly become invincible again there come next year when he’s another year older.
His fans just have to be happy with what he’s still able to win esp during this pandemic period. Once the youngsters like Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev and Thiem pick up steam again, everything will get more difficult for the big three.
you are allowed to swoon over baldal only on this forum.
amy,
I agree! It is a bit much. After saying he almost won the USO? Really? Getting defaulted in the fourth round?
One would think Novak walks on water! 😂
Yes indeed nny! I left you a message on non tennis forum yesterday…just so you know!😊
Well, people thinking that he definitely missed US2020 have to be reminded that he won major titles like those vs Fed and Thiem, when basically had the matches in their hands. He could’ve lost to Thiem and win USO2020. Have to respect the law of averages. You can’t have everything. Walking on thin ice shouldn’t be mistaken with walking on solid ground.
Ill say a lot for Nole, who beat Nadal and Fed in very close matches from losing positions.
He doesn’t walk on water? Oh, right, he just cleanses it with his pure thoughts? Is that it? Or maybe with his guru’s snake oil. Whatever.
Amy and NNY agree, sometimes these forums turn into fan clubs :-/
Novak had an easy draw. I found extremely lucky for him to face no strong competition at this tournament. Maybe it’s the compensation for the unfortunate event at USO.
I was not happy when I saw Rafa’s draw.. I thought his first opponent PCB would already be a stern test given Rafa’s rustiness and lack of match play, but PCB was too tired to play his game…Unfortunately, Rafa will have to go the tougher way once again in his career, with yet not enough match play…hope he regroups for RG and starts playing smarter… hope he understands that he cannot hit through his opponents all the time on clay…it didn’t work with Diego, but definitely won’t work with Dominik or Novak on the opposite side of the net…Rafa must have the Plan B, he must employ his other weapons like net play… his first serve must and will improve I believe…let’s hope for the best!
Vamos Champ!
Rafa is too experienced not to realise that! I mean he won 12 FO titles, surely he knows what he has to do against his opponents. He has beaten Fed, Djoko, Stan – all of them are FO champions now – and has beaten the heir to his throne ie Thiem twice in the final, and has beaten Schwarzman there too, so he certainly knows how to beat them there.
In best of five sets, Rafa will have time to adjust his game during his matches; if Rafa could reach the SF of Wimbledon without playing any warm up matches on grass, I don’t see why he couldn’t do better on clay at the FO.
It’s not like the other players are having many warm up matches on clay either, so why should Rafa be at a disadvantage this time when the others are also having such a problem?
It’s good to see some support for Djoko here! Generally it’s all one sided for Rafa or fed
Not so much Fed. This is a Rafa oriented fanbase. But it’s a good one.
Yeah, good one , and I enjoy the Rafa fan-aticism and the polar opposite for a controversial political opponent who gives citrus fruit a bad name .