The Italian Open, in the eternal city at the Foro Italico, attracts the game’s elite from the ATP and WTA tours. This is the final ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier Mandatory event prior to the commencement of the French Open on May 24, 2015.
World #1 Novak Djokovic has not competed on clay since winning the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in April. Will time away from the dirt enhance or hurt his chances of claiming a fourth title at the Foro Italico?
Roger Federer, having won the inaugural clay court event in Turkey two weeks ago, should like his prospects at the Italian Open despite losing a three-set nail-bitter to Nick Krygios last week at the Madrid Open.
Irrefutably, Andy Murray is supremely confident having just dismantled the king of clay, Rafael Nadal, in straight sets at the Mutua Madrid Open to claim his second and consecutive clay-court title. Tennis pundits will invariably debate the benefits and potential pitfalls of playing too many matches on the dirt in advance of the French Open.
For many, Rafael Nadal cannot play enough, having lost to Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and to Fabio Fognini twice over the course of the last three months. Incredulously, this is the first time since 2003 that Nadal has lost four clay court matches in a season and the first time since May 2005 he is ranked outside the top five at #7.
Last season, Nadal conceded 3 matches on the dirt prior to the Italian Open where he lost in the final to Novak Djokovic. Consequently, Nadal has 600 points to defend heading into the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros.
World #1 Serena Williams may have a ton of Grand Slam hardware to display but is seriously lacking confidence in her clay-court prowess. No one seemed more surprised than Serena that she prevailed in the fiercely contested 4th round match against former world #1 Victoria Azarenka last week at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Serena, a two-time French Open champion, appeared anything but assured or decisive over the course of the lengthy dual; Williams’ all but conceded she was extremely lucky to have secured victory against a resurgent and consistently aggressive Azarenka. Victoria Azarenka, a finalist in Rome in 2013, will be especially motivated to progress further into the draw than her 4th round finish in Madrid. Azarenka is looking to regain the form and mental fortitude that carried her to the top of the WTA rankings and two consecutive Australian Open titles.
Serena Williams would be incapable, however, of eluding defeat in the semifinals, losing in straight sets to the two-time and reigning Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova. Petra Kvitova, currently ranked #4, was relentless with her powerful, lefty serve and punishing groundstrokes. She repeatedly exposed Serena’s lackluster movement and poor shot selection to astounding effect. Petra Kvitova’s emphatic 6-2, 6-3 defeat of the two-time Madrid Open champion incredulously, was Serena Williams’ first loss of the season.
World #3 Maria Sharapova is looking to regain the form employed last season to secure her second title at Roland Garros. Sharapova was unable to defend her title in Stuttgart, losing in the second round to a resurgent Angelique Kerber.
Maria Sharapova, the 2014 Madrid Open champion, lost in the semifinals in straight sets to the 2009 French Open champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova. Astonishingly, this was her first loss to Kuznetsova in over seven years. Clearly, it would be a huge understatement to assert that her clay-court preparation in advance of her French Open title defense has been imperfect.
The road to Roland Garros is exceedingly long and littered with seeded players undone by eager upstarts and seasoned veterans hoping to capture a prestigious Masters 1000 or Premier Mandatory event; hopefully, for die-hard tennis enthusiasts, me included, this week in Rome at the Foro Italico will bring more of the same.
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