Carlos Alcaraz will look to punch his ticket in the second week of the Rome Masters. The Spaniard will face Lalso Djere for the second time this season. Who will advance to the last 16?
ATP Rome Day 5 Predictions
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: Medvedev 3-1 Popyrin
When it comes to clay-court tournaments, Rome is Medvedev’s happy hunting ground. His maiden title on this surface came at the 2023 Italian Open. Medvedev has yet to add to his trophy cabinet since that shocking title win two years ago. The Russian picked up his fifth win of this year’s clay swing after seeing off Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets. Popyrin snapped his three-match losing streak with a 6-1 7-6 over Spanish clay-court specialist Carlos Taberner. The Aussie will need another strong start to stand a chance of the upset, but Medvedev’s defensive prowess will likely shine.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Arthur Fils vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: Fils 3-0 Tsitsipas
It’s not often that Tsitsipas starts a match on clay as an underdog. But in this case, he is. It is because of the irresistible form that Fils has displayed of late. The Frenchman has posted seven wins already with a quarterfinal run in Monte Carlo and a semifinal run in Barcelona, losing each time to Carlos Alcaraz. Tsitsipas’ clay-court campaign has been disrupted by injury and the Greek might struggle to contain Fils’ weight of shot and footspeed.
Prediction: Fils in 2
Jack Draper vs Vit Kopriva
Head-to-head: Draper 1-0 Kopriva
Draper defeated Kopriva in their previous career meeting on the Munich clay last season. That was a tight encounter, with Draper’s firepower proving sufficient to carry him to a three-set victory. The Briton should be expecting a similar level of resistance from the 27-year-old Czech who powered through the qualifying draw in Rome before upsetting World No. 33 Sebastian Baez in the last round.
Prediction: Draper in 2
Carlos Alcaraz vs Laslo Djere
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 2-0 Djere
Despite concerns about hamstring and groin injuries, Alcaraz’s victory over Dusan Lajovic in his opening match was a straightforward one. The Spaniard bounced back from the Barcelona Open final defeat to post his 10th win in 11 matches on clay. In that run, he beat Laslo Djere. The Serbian has dropped eight games in two matches to reach the third round in Rome. He is an impressive 17-4 on the surface this season. As far as tests go, this would rank top of the pile for Djere. Alcaraz is almost an insurmountable challenger on clay.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
