By Tony Fairbairn
- Hubert Hurkacz [7] v Rafael Nadal [PR]
- Iga Swiatek [1] v Yulia Putintseva
- Stefanos Tsitsipas [6] v Jan-Lennard Struff
ROME, ITALY – Rafael Nadal will take on Hubert Hurkacz in his toughest test of the season as he continues his Roland Garros preparations in Rome.
Hubert Hurkacz [7] v Rafael Nadal [PR] H2H & Match Fundamentals
Hubert Hurkacz [7] v Rafael Nadal [PR] | H2H: First Meeting |
Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
Clay (O) | Prize Money: €30,255 |
Second on Center Court (Not before 12:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Consistency is key for Hubert Hurkacz who has followed up his Estoril title with two wins in Monte-Carlo and Madrid respectively. However the Pole has been underwhelming against his rivals on clay with the world number nine yet to prove why he can conjure up a big run at Roland Garros. Now the 27 year-old will aim for a strong tournament in Rome as he looks to win back-to-back matches for a third consecutive year.
Hurkacz’s clay court credentials will receive a severe test when he takes on ten-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal produced more time on court during his thrilling three set win over Zizou Bergs but the Spaniard will be hoping that he can win matches more easily as he prepares for his clay court farewell. The 14-time Roland Garros champion will be encouraged by his improvement in play and stamina as he looks to finish his career with one more successful run in Paris.
Hurkacz will be aggressive on serve and approach the net as much as possible to put Nadal under as much pressure as possible. Meanwhile Nadal aims to use spin and angles to successfully open up the court in order to hit efficient winners. This will be an interesting match which should see Nadal edge to victory if he is consistent enough. However any drops in form and Hurkacz will capitalise quite easily and will punish the Spaniard for any mistakes made.
Prediction: Nadal in three sets.
Iga Swiatek [1] v Yulia Putintseva H2H & Match Fundamentals
Iga Swiatek [1] v Yulia Putintseva | H2H: Swiatek leads 3-0 |
Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
Clay (O) | Prize Money: €30,435 |
First on Center Court (10:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
World number one Iga Swiatek continues to storm through the clay court season as she is in confident form having won the Madrid title. Now the Pole began her campaign in Rome having thrashed Bernarda Pera with the loss of two games. The good form for Swiatek bodes well for the Pole who is looking to capture her third Rome title in four years this week.
The latest player to attempt to stop her is Yulia Putintseva after the Kazakh knocked out 31st seed Sloane Stephens. The world number 41 has had an impressive season so far and entered the tournament in Rome having reached the quarter-finals in Madrid, narrowly losing to Elena Rybakina in the process. Now the 29 year-old will look to complete her Roland Garros preparations with one of the best wins of her career.
Swiatek will dictate play with the forehand, making Putintseva cover a lot of ground as she looks to force the Kazakh behind the baseline. Meanwhile Putintseva will need to be aggressive as she aims to keep moving on the baseline while making her patterns of play unpredictable. This should be a decent test for Swiatek but the Pole should have too much quality on serve in order to progress.
Prediction: Swiatek in straight sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas [6] v Jan-Lennard Struff H2H & Match Fundamentals
Stefanos Tsitsipas [6] v Jan-Lennard Struff | H2H: Tied at 3-3 |
Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
Clay (O) | Prize Money: €30,255 |
Fifth on Grand Stand Arena (Not before 16:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
After winning ten of his first eleven matches, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ clay court surge took a massive halt last week in Madrid after losing his opening round match against Thiago Monteiro. The world number eight is still in a good position for a deep Roland Garros run as he will aim to take advantage of injuries and uncertainty at the second Grand Slam of the season.
Before Tsitsipas can think about Roland Garros the Greek will have to face the in-form Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round. The German backed up his title in Munich with a phenomenal performance against Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid. There is growing belief for Struff that he can achieve something special at Roland Garros and now the German will aim to record another impressive victory on the road to Paris.
Tsitsipas will aim to be aggressive on serve as he looks to use angles and variety to extend the rallies. Meanwhile Struff will look to blitz Tsitsipas off the court with heavy groundstrokes and a mix of spin and pace. This will be a tough match for Tsitsipas but the sixth seed should have enough quality and variety to advance.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in three sets.
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