Rome R3 preview and prediction: Ferrer vs. Pouille

In a relatively up-for-grabs bottom half of the Rome draw, David Ferrer and Lucas Pouille will be squaring off when third-round action takes place on Thursday. Adam Leigh previews a rematch of what was a thrilling three-setter at the Miami Masters.

For the second time this year, David Ferrer and Lucas Pouille will meet when the Internazionali BNL d’Italia round of 16 kicks off on Thursday.

With a final appearance in Bucharest along with decent runs in Brisbane and Miami on the way to a 12-9 record, Pouille is putting together the best season of his young career thus far. Ferrer, meanwhile, has had a muddling season by his standards–with just one win over a top 30 player so far in 2016.

Is the reach of father time starting to gather Ferrer in? The indefatigable Spaniard has been a benchmark on tour for fitness and endurance throughout his exceptional career, but time eventually claims even the best athletes. Although it might be a little too soon to make that judgement in 2016, there is no question he is not playing his best tennis right now. Ferrer’s first match against Pouille this season is a case in point, as the much younger Frenchman eventually wore the veteran down in Miami over three high-quality and grueling sets (something Ferrer has done time and time again to opponents over his own career). The acrylic cushion in Miami plays on the slower side of the hard-court spectrum and provides a decent enough proxy to think that Pouille will again make Ferrer work very hard for a win on the clay.

A big advantage Ferrer has on the dirt is that his opponent will have to live further behind the baseline than he does on a quicker surface. The No. 9 seed may be able to put just a few too many balls back in play for Pouille, who will have to exercise a lot of patience from the back of the court. The 22-year-old’s consistency off the ground has improved a good deal in 2016 and he will make his opponent cover plenty of ground, but Ferrer may be too steady and unrelenting on the clay for the up-and-coming prospect.

Pick: Ferrer in 3

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