Rome R3 previews and picks: Wawrinka vs. Haas, Ferrer vs. Gulbis

Almost all the matches set for Thursday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia are strong in prospect, but the easiest on the eyes will no doubt be Wawrinka vs. Haas. Two of the greatest one-handers on tour will battle it out for a spot in the quarterfinals. Wawrinka, who is trying to bounce back after an early exit in Madrid, needed less than an hour to dispatch Pere Riba in his first match at the Foro Italico. Meanwhile, Haas–at 36 years of age–is still inside the top 20 and is trying to make the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 for the first time since Miami of last year. He defeated Andreas Seppi in three sets before taking down Igor Sijsling in straights, avenging his loss in Madrid to the Dutchman.

Although both men have been on tour together for numerous years, they have only played once. Haas defeated Wawrinka in three sets at the 2006 Doha event. It’s a shame they have not faced each other more often, because they are two of the most aesthetically pleasing players out there. The backhand to backhand battle will be interesting, because Wawrinka likes to have a little more time and rip it, while Haas is great at taking the ball early and absorbing pace. The difference now is that the Swiss’ forehand has become such a weapon, while Haas still has his days when he struggles off that side. Take a few years off Haas and this match would have been incredibly tough to call, but the 2014 Wawrinka will be too much for the German.

Hanf pick: Wawrinka in 3 

Dimon pick: Wawrinka in 2
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A match of polar opposites–and another Madrid rematch–Gulbis is up against the pitbull known as Ferrer. Gulbis has always played well in Rome; he beat Roger Federer at this event in 2010 and pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets on two occasions, including last year. He has been quietly making his way up the rankings over the last few months, and he is up to a career-high 17th. Gublis defeated qualifier Stephane Robert in three sets on Wednesday after receiving a retirement from Alejandro Falla in the first round. Ferrer, now 32, has talked this year about feeling the affects of aging, but his performances on clayhave proved otherwise. After taking out Nadal in Monte-Carlo, he looked in vintage form in Madrid–reaching the semifinals before bowing out in an epic three-setter to Kei Nishikori.

Ferrer has prevailed in all three previous meetings between these two, and Gulbis has only taken one set in those matches. But as stated earlier, the underdog always seems to play his best ball in Rome and this could be his day. Ferrer looked sharp in his win over Mikhail Kukushkin, but he is likely still feeling the affects from a long week in Madrid, combined with his ever-aging body. Gulbis will need a lot of free points, and he’ll need to manage the forehand well. The thinking here is that he will do just that.

Hanf pick: Gulbis in 2 

Dimon pick: Ferrer in 3 

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