Madrid champion Novak Djokovic will clash with young Canadian Denis Shapovalov in his opening match in Rome. Fellow Madrid finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas kicks off his campaign against even younger Italian wild card Jannick Sinner.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Denis Shapovalov
After a lackluster spring season, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic came roaring back with his first clay court title of 2019 in Madrid last week. The Serb was impressive in his defeat of Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic began the year with a dominant run to the title of the Australian Open, but faltered in Indian Wells and Miami, losing early in upset wins to Philipp Kohlschreiber and Roberto Bautista Agut respectively.
Denis Shapovalov had a good run on hard courts, particularly in Miami where he finally lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals. The Canadian NextGen star hasn’t fared as well on clay. In fact, until this week, he hadn’t won a single match on the dirt in three tries. For him to run into Djokovic so early in the tournament is a spot of bad luck.
It’s doubtful Shapovalov will be able to hang with Djokovic on clay. He was able to take a set from the world No. 1 this year in Melbourne, but Djokovic is nearly as good on clay as he is on the slow hard courts of the Australian Open. And his clay game isn’t exactly Shapovalov’s strong suit.
Cheryl pick: Djokovic in 2
Ricky pick: Djokovic in 2
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(8) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Jannick Sinner
It’s a rare thing for Stefanos Tsitsipas to play someone younger than he, but on Wednesday, the Madrid finalist will take on 17 year-old Jannick Sinner, who stunned Steve Johnson in the first round. The shock wasn’t necessarily that Sinner is 17, but more that he is ranked 263 in the world and generally finds himself competing on the Futures tour. A generous wildcard for the Italian into the Rome event handed young Sinner a golden opportunity.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has had an impressive couple of weeks. The Greek won his first clay court title in Estoril, then followed that up with a run to the final in Madrid, during which he beat Rafael Nadal before going down to Novak Djokovic. Certainly, there is the real possibility that Tsitsipas is fatigued, but it’s hard to imagine the Greek allowing Sinner another opportunity for an upset.
Cheryl pick: Tsitsipas in 2
Ricky pick: Tsitsipas in 2
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