Novak Djokovic made an impressive start to his ATP Rome campaign in the opening round. The 24-time Grand Slam champion will seek to do the same in his match against the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. As always, we at LWOT have predictions for that match and all the others taking place in Rome including Grigor Dimitrov vs Terence Atmane. But which players do you expect to win?
ATP Rome Day 5 Predictions
Karen Khachanov vs Francisco Cerundolo
Head-to-head: Khachanov 4-0 Cerundolo
This has been a tough matchup for Francisco Cerundolo in the past. The main reason for that is Karen Khachanov’s superior backhand being able to exploit Cerundolo’s weaker wing in cross-court rallies. Clay is the surface that the Argentine is most likely to beat Khachanov on. Nonetheless, playing on the dirt is unlikely to prevent Cerundolo from falling to a fifth straight defeat to Khachanov.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
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Taylor Fritz vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-head: Fritz 1-0 Korda
Both players triumphed against Italian opponents in the previous round, although Sebastian Korda had to work much harder to come through in his three set battle against Flavio Cobolli. Korda will need to return Taylor Fritz’s huge serve well and use his advantage in backhand-to-backhand exchanges to give himself a good chance of winning. He does have a chance of doing that and this could be a close battle. Overall though, the few extra points Fritz will be able to get on serve may prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Ben Shelton vs Zhang Zhizhen
Head-to-head: Shelton 1-0 Zhang
This will be a fun match with a lot of powerful hitting. Shelton’s progress on clay has been impressive, including a title in Houston last month. However, the clay-courts in Texas play very differently to those in Rome. Zhang is not a player known for consistency, but if he can find some in this contest, Shelton usually has periods in matches on clay where his level drops. That could be decisive, although this is another contest that is likely to be tight.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
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Novak Djokovic vs Alejandro Tabilo
Head-to-head: first meeting
This will be a good test for Novak Djokovic. Alejandro Tabilo is in very good form on the dirt. He won the ATP 175 event in Aix-en-Provence before Rome began and then overcame Yannick Hanfmann in the opening round, who is a dangerous player on clay. Djokovic’s movement looked back to full sharpness in his previous match against Corentin Moutet, which will be important against an opponent who is capable of extending the rallies. This is likely to be competitive, but not enough for Djokovic to be the victim of an upset.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
