Rome R1 previews and predictions: Dimitrov vs. Del Potro, Pouille vs. Querrey

An intriguing opening-rounder in Rome will pit Grigor Dimitrov against Juan Martin Del Potro on Monday. The first full day of action at this Masters 1000 tournament also features Lucas Pouille and Sam Querrey.

Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (10) Grigor Dimitrov

Del Potro will be contesting just his second match of this clay swing when he takes the court at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Monday. In an effort to preserve his health, the 34th-ranked Argentine took a month off following third-round losses in Indian Wells (Novak Djokovic) and Miami (Roger Federer) before returning on the red clay of Estoril. Del Potro crushed Yuichia Sugita but then withdrew from Estoril–and from the Madrid Masters–due to the death of his grandfather.

Up first for the 2009 U.S. Open champion in Rome is a fifth career showdown against Dimitrov, who is 0-4 in the head-to-head series and 1-8 in total sets against Del Potro. The 12th-ranked Bulgarian is coming off a tough third-round Madrid loss to eventual runner-up Dominic Thiem, who fought off five match points before prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(9). Dimitrov is still a respectable 19-7 this season, but he is just 3-6 after winning 16 of his first 17 matches. This is not the same Dimitrov that was on display in January and February, and Del Potro’s firepower is such that he will have an easier time hitting through a relatively slow clay court.

Pick: Del Potro in 3

[polldaddy poll=9746865]

Sam Querrey vs. (11) Lucas Pouille

Pouille and Querrey will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Monday. Their only previous encounter also came during the clay-court swing, with Querrey getting the job done 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 last year in Madrid. The 6’6” American ended up stunning Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon later that summer, but nothing similar was on display until he captured the Acapulco title in February with upsets of Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, and Rafael Nadal.

Not too much unlike Querrey, Pouille has been all over the map dating back to last summer. The 16th-ranked Frenchman outlasted Rafael Nadal in a fifth-set tiebreaker at the U.S. Open, won Metz last fall, and he enjoyed a two-week stretch this spring that saw him reach the Monte-Carlo semifinals and lift the trophy in Budapest. During this same stretch he has also lost his opening match at five tournaments–including this past week in Madrid to Pierre Hugues-Herbert. Fortunately for Pouille, Querrey’s inconsistency from the back of the court is more likely to manifest itself when he is forced to play long points without the benefit of grass or a fast hard court under his feet.

Pick: Pouille in 3

[polldaddy poll=9746866]