Rome R4 preview and prediction: Medvedev vs. Zverev

Get your popcorn ready for a Tuesday evening showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.

They have already faced each other twice this season and neither match disappointed. Medvedev prevailed on both occasions; 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 at the Miami Open and 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) in Monte-Carlo. This will be their third consecutive meeting in the fourth round of a Masters 1000 tournament, and it promises to be a spicy one with no love lost. In Monte-Carlo, Zverev called out Medvedev for the timing of a late bathroom break and that was followed by a war of words in the press room.

Whatever the case, this should also be a fun one between the lines. Medvedev remains unspectacular on clay, but recent results have at least been decent and he is coming off good wins in Rome over Emil Ruusuvuori and Bernabe Zapata Miralles. Zverev’s comeback from last year’s French Open injury is slowly gaining momentum. The 22nd-ranked German booked his spot in the last 16 this fortnight by beating David Goffin and J.J. Wolf–like Medvedev, also dropping one set in the process.

Zverev missed the entire second half of the 2023 season, so every match he gets these days is another opportunity for improvement. The 26-year-old is definitely better now than he was in Miami and he has probably even made strides since Monte-Carlo.

On clay Zverev is the superior player, and he is likely poised to get over the hump against Medvedev following his two near misses over the past couple of months.

Pick: Zverev in 3