Rome R3 previews and predictions: Del Potro vs. Goffin, Djokovic vs. Ramos-Vinolas

A blockbuster clay-court battle between Juan Martin Del Potro and David Goffin is part of a jam-packed Thursday schedule in Rome. Novak Djokovic and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.

(5) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (9) David Goffin

Del Potro and Goffin will be squaring off for only the third time in their careers and for the first time in almost two full years when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday. They somehow did not face each other in 2017 despite advancing a long way at many of the same tournaments. Thus the abbreviated head-to-heads series stands at one win apiece, with Goffin having prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the 2016 Shanghai Masters before Del Potro got the job done 7-5, 6-3 shortly thereafter in Basel.

Neither player has been overly active during this clay swing, but given that Goffin missed much of February and March with an eye injury his recent results have to be considered successes. The 10th-ranked Belgian reached the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals, the Barcelona semifinals, and the Madrid third round. He won his Rome opener 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 over Marco Cecchinato on Tuesday, improving to a decent 14-7 on the season. Del Potro took time off after a productive stretch in which he captured back-to-back titles in Acapulco and Indian Wells before advancing to the Miami semis. This is just the Argentine’s second clay-court event on the heels of a third-round showing in Madrid (lost to Dusan Lajovic in a third-set tiebreaker) and it started well–with a 7-5, 6-3 defeat of a red-hot Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday. This should be a high-quality contest, with a slight edge going to Goffin because he can withstand Del Potro’s power on clay while also playing aggressive enough to direct plenty of balls to the No. 5 seed’s backhand.

Pick: Goffin in 3

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(11) Novak Djokovic vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas

Djokovic could really use some momentum going into the French Open. Momentum is something he has shown signs of acquiring at various steps along the way in his 2018 comeback, but he has never been able to sustain any kind of success. The 18th-ranked Serb can win back-to-back-to-back matches for the first time since the Australian Open when he takes the court against Ramos-Vinolas on Thursday, and it was also Ramos-Vinolas whom he beat for a third straight win Down Under.

Beating this particular left-handed Spaniard is nothing out of the ordinary for Djokovic, who is dominating the head-to-head series 5-0 and 13-0 in total sets. They have squared off at two of the last four majors, with Djokovic coasting 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3 at Roland Garros in 2017 and 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 at the Aussie Open. The former world No. 1 has advanced so far in Rome by making routine, straight-set work of Alexandr Dolgopolov and Nikoloz Basilashvili, whereas Ramos-Vinolas needed more than five total hours to outlast both Federico Delbonis and John Isner in three sets. All factors indicate that this will be another tough day at the office for the world No. 41 against his nemesis.

Pick: Djokovic in 2

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