Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori will be facing each other for a second consecutive week when they collide again on Friday in Rome. A semifinal spot will also be at stake in a showdown between Alexander Zverev and David Goffin.
Kei Nishikori vs. (11) Novak Djokovic
Djokovic and Nishikori will be squaring off for the 15th time in their careers and for the second time in as many weeks when they battle for a place in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Friday. A recent 7-5, 6-4 victory in the Madrid first round was Djokovic’s 11th in a row over the Japanese star and extended his domination of the head-to-head series to 12-2. The 18th-ranked Serb was bounced out of Madrid immediately thereafter by Kyle Edmund in three sets, but he is back in business at the Rome Masters. This marks just the second time in 2018 that Djokovic has won three matches at a single event (previously did so at the Australian Open), and he has done it by beating Alexandr Dolgopolov, Nikoloz Basilashvili, and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets.
Nishikori is in the midst of his own comeback from physical issues, and it is going relatively well even though he still trails Djokovic by six ranking spots. The 28-year-old finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo and he is through to the quarters this week thanks to defeats of Feliciano Lopez, Grigor Dimitrov, and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Although Nishikori is playing well, he has been hopeless against Djokovic dating back to the fall of 2014 and the 12-time major champion finally appears to be playing his best tennis since last spring.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
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(9) David Goffin vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
With a week off soon to be enjoyed prior to the French Open, Zverev seems unwilling to run out of gas just yet. The third-ranked German has 17 clay-court matches this spring and has won 15 of them, including a 14-1 record in three-plus tournaments (Monte-Carlo, Munich, Madrid, and two matches in Rome). He reached the Monte-Carlo semis before succumbing to Nishikori, triumphed in Munich, captured his third career Masters 1000 title in Madrid, and has taken care of Matteo Berrettini and Edmund so far this week.
Up next for Zverev on Friday is a third career contest with Goffin, who beat Zverev back in 2014 at the Mons Challenger but lost their most recent meeting 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the 2016 Munich quarterfinals. The 10th-ranked Belgian has recovered nicely from an eye injury that derailed his February and March efforts, with a quarterfinal performance in Monte-Carlo and a semifinal showing in Barcelona. Goffin finds himself in the Rome quarters thanks victories over Leonardo Mayer and Marco Cecchinato plus a second-set retirement from Juan Martin Del Potro on Thursday. Two of Goffin’s three clay-court losses have come at the hands of Edmund and Grigor Dimitrov, and an even tougher opponent awaits in this one. Zverev’s hot streak may end at some point in Rome, but the defending champion should have enough left in the tank to hit Goffin off the court.
Pick: Zverev in 2
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