Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner will get started at the Rome Masters on Friday. They both have intriguing second-round matchups on their hands, as Dimitrov is facing Stan Wawrinka and Sinner awaits Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Stan Wawrinka vs. (26) Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov and Wawrinka will be squaring off for the 13th time in their careers and for the first time in more than three years when they meet in round two of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Friday. Wawrinka has won five of their last six encounters to take a 7-5 lead in the head-to-head series, while they have split their four clay-court contests. Current form also points toward a competitive clash in Rome, as Dimitrov is 11-8 this season and Wawrinka comes in at 12-9.
Although there is a big discrepancy in rankings (Dimitrov is 33rd; Wawrinka is 84th), the 38-year-old Swiss should like his chances. He is playing just as well as his opponent is right now and he has always been effective on clay. In fact, seven of his 16 titles have come on the dirt–including the French Open (2015) and Monte-Carlo (2014). With a match already under his belt (he crushed Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday), Wawrinka looks poised to pull off a minor upset.
Pick: Wawrinka in 3
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(Q) Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. (8) Jannik Sinner
Sinner is without question one of the top title contenders in Rome. The 21-year-old Italian is 26-6 this season and has climbed to No. 8 in the world. His last six results are title, runner-up, semifinals (Indian Wells), runner-up (Miami), semifinals (Monte-Carlo), and quarterfinals. With a huge home-court advantage amidst what are always raucous atmospheres at this tournament, Sinner should be primed for more success in the Italian capital on the heels of his 2022 quarterfinal performance.
Up first for the eighth seed on Friday is Kokkinakis, who trails the head-to-head series 2-0. The 104th-ranked Aussie lost 8-6 in a third-set tiebreaker at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters before falling 7-6(2), 6-4 earlier this year in Adelaide. It has already been a good week in Rome for Kokkinakis, who qualified for the main draw and then got a first-round retirement from Jaume Munar. A big step up in competition, of course, will likely mark the end of the road.
Pick: Sinner in 2
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Dtrtov in 3; Sinner in 2.