Just four men remain in contention for the all-important ATP Rome Masters 1000 trophy with the victor surely heading in the French Open 2024 in supreme confidence. As ever, we at LWOT preview and predict both semifinal clashes for you.
ATP Rome Semifinals Predictions
Alejandro Tabilo vs Alexander Zverev
Head to head – First Meeting
What a week Alejandro Tabilo is having. The Chilean first beat the World #1 and then backed that up with back-to-back wins over quality opponents to cement a well-deserved semi-final spot. What has been the most impressive about him this week is his shot selection and the power with which he is hitting those ground strokes.
Alexander Zverev has kind of flown under the radar this week but he has been ruthless in his performances and the German is yet to drop a set in this tournament. He had been playing lower ranked players until the semi-final but a commanding performance against Taylor Fritz silenced any doubts anyone would have over his confidence.
From the outset, this match looks even on current form, but the general feeling is if the German plays at his top level, there is not much Tabilo can do to disrupt Zverev’s game. Expect a tight tussle between the two with Zverev clinching it in the deciding set.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Nicolas Jarry vs Tommy Paul
Head to head – Jarry 1-0 Paul
Tommy Paul wasn’t on many people’s list to make it to the last four here in Rome given he hadn’t played much on the clay this year. The American looked dialed in his quarterfinal match and he is a tough customer to deal with once he starts feeling his way around the court.
On the other hand, Nicolas Jarry is into his first semifinal at this level and the Chilean took out the heavy favourite Stefanos Tsitsipas in a stellar performance. He has a big game and how well he hits his backhand will be important against Paul.
Expect a topsy turvy battle with lots of breaks of serve, Jarry looks likely to get a lot of free points on his serve but Paul has a lot of variety on his ground strokes and that could spell trouble for the Chilean who is not the swiftest on tour.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
