A beautiful Foro Italico in Rome is the venue for the fifth Masters 1000 event of the season, gathering almost every player from the top-20 in the quest for the most prestigious title on clay outside Roland Garros! Rome became a part of the Open era back in 1969 and it stayed in the calendar ever since, with some of the biggest names of the Open era tennis on the winners list like Newcombe, Nastase, Laver, Borg, Vilas, Lendl, Wilander, Muster, Courier, Sampras, Kuerten, Ferrero, Agassi, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. Roger Federer never won Rome title, losing in the final four times and competing in the Eternal City for the last time three years ago, never returning to clay before Madrid this week. Roger is in the draw although we are yet to see if he is going to play, waiting for Saturday or Sunday to make a decision. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the top seeds and also the dominant figures at this event, winning 12 of the last 14 titles and hoping to extend that streak next Sunday. Novak kicks off the campaign against Denis Shapovalov or Pablo Carreno Busta before the third round clash against Philipp Kohlschreiber, Gilles Simon, Alex de Minaur or Marco Cecchinato. They are in the same quarter with Daniil Medvedev, Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka, David Goffin and Juan Martin del Potro, which guarantees some exciting encounters right from the first round. Last year's finalist Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori lead the second quarter, facing Matteo Berrettini, Lucas Pouille, Diego Schwartzman, Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic and Guido Pella, forging a wide-open quarter that should bring a lot of great matches. Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the central figures in the third quarter (if Roger opts to play, of course) and they have to battle against Fabio Fognini, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Borna Coric, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe in challenging set of encounters that will determine the semi-finalist. The defending champion Rafael Nadal seeks the ninth Rome crown and he will have to pass Dominic Thiem in the quarters to stand a chance for that, losing to the Austrian in the semi-final in Barcelona and looking for revenge if they oust Fernando Verdasco, Kyle Edmund, Roberto Bautista Agut, Karen Khachanov, Marton Fucsovics, Jeremy Chardy and Richard Gasquet.<doc-sep>Here’s a detailed look at the four quarters of the men’s draw, and how things might be expected to pan out at the Rome Masters 2019 While the high-octane action at the Madrid Masters was in full swing, with Roger Federer dramatically losing to Dominic Thiem after holding match points, the organizers of the Rome Masters quietly released the draw for the last major tune-up before Roland Garros. Or as quietly as you can when you have a full-blown ‘draw ceremony’ for it anyway. Incidentally, the big news from the ceremony was centered on those same two men who were raucously battling it out in the Magic Box of Madrid. Federer’s name is present in the Rome draw, which negates his earlier stance that he would play only Madrid and Roland Garros during the clay season. And Thiem has landed in a highly unfortunate section of the draw, making his wildcard status even wilder than usual. Here’s a detailed look at the four quarters of the men’s draw, and how things might be expected to pan out: First quarter: Normal service resumed, led by the World No 1 This quarter has an ‘order being restored’ feel to it. Djokovic headlines it as expected, by virtue of being the No 1-ranked player in the world, but he has also now started playing like the top dog – if his Madrid run is any indication. In addition to Djokovic, the war-wounded Slam champions Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka, who are both seemingly rounding into shape ahead of the year’s second Major, also find themselves here. Djokovic starts against either Denis Shapovalov or Pablo Carreno Busta, and could face a familiar foe in Marco Cecchinato or Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round. Seventh seed Del Potro is much less fortunate; he will clash against either Wawrinka or Goffin right off the bat. The Argentine is probably not looking too far ahead of that match given that he’s only just returned from injury. But this would’ve been a brutal draw for him even if he was fully match-fit; playing against Wawrinka (who is coming off a quarterfinal finish in Madrid) is never anybody’s idea of a party. Daniil Medvedev lurks as a threat too in this quarter, while Alex de Minaur (pitted against Cecchinato first up) continues his comeback from injury. Quarter-final prediction: Novak Djokovic def. Stan Wawrinka Dark horse: Marco Cecchinato First-round match to watch: Nick Kyrgios vs Daniil Medvedev Second quarter: Can Alexander Zverev hold on to his top 4 ranking? One of the most significant points of interest this clay season has been the race to determine the two players who will join Djokovic and Nadal as the top four seeds at Roland Garros. While Federer seems to have sewn up the No 3 ranking with his Madrid performance, Zverev and Thiem are locked in a tight contest for the No 4 slot. If Zverev wants to hold on to his current No 4 ranking, he needs a good result at Rome. He has already lost a ton of points by failing to defend his Madrid title from last year, and he has another 600 points to defend as the 2018 Rome runner-up. The signs are certainly positive for him, as he put up a commendable performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Madrid quarter-final. His draw is not too harsh either; he starts against either Matteo Berrettini or Lucas Pouille, and could face Gael Monfils or Diego Schwartzman after that. At the other end of the quarter is Kei Nishikori, who needs a good result himself. He could have a tricky opener against Guido Pella, who is enjoying a fabulous claycourt season, and will likely face one of Grigor Dimitrov, Jan-Lennard Struff or Marin Cilic in the third round. Cilic had to withdraw from his Madrid quarterfinal due to food poisoning though, and it is unclear whether he’ll play in Rome. Quarter-final prediction: Kei Nishikori def. Alexander Zverev Dark horse: Gael Monfils First-round match to watch: Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff Third quarter: The “will he, won’t he” section Federer’s return to clay after three years had been billed as an event unto itself, and the legend didn’t disappoint in Madrid. His thrilling encounters against Monfils and Thiem had the entire tennis world on the edge of their seats, with the first set against Thiem being widely hailed as a masterclass in how to play tennis on your own terms. The message is clear: Federer is going to play on clay like it is grass, shortening the points with quick strikes and attacking the net with gusto. And based on his Madrid showing, he might even have some success with that strategy. But what is not clear yet is whether the Swiss is even going to play in Rome. Although he has entered his name in the draw, he said after the Madrid quarter-final that he’ll “decide over the weekend” about his participation. If Federer withdraws, the quarter will likely take on a lopsided look, and the biggest beneficiary will be Tsitsipas. The Greek has found his clay feet, as evidenced by his Madrid run, and would have a clear path to the semifinals if Federer’s spot is taken up by a qualifier or lucky loser. Fabio Fognini, who faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round, looms as a potential third-round obstacle for Tsitsipas, and Borna Coric a possible challenger after that. But Coric has to contend with Felix Auger-Aliassime in a mouth-watering opener; the young Canadian has certainly proven this year that he is no pushover. Quarterfinal prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Borna Coric Dark horse: Fabio Fognini First-round match to watch: Borna Coric vs Felix Auger-Aliassime Fourth quarter: Why draw gods, why? With Zverev precariously holding on to his No 4 ranking, Thiem was bound to get the short end of the straw sooner or later. And the hammer blow has been struck in Rome; he and Nadal, arguably the two best claycourters in the world right now, have been drawn in the same quarter.<doc-sep>The main highlight within the women's section of this year's Italian Open draw is the clay court return of one of the game's greatest in Serena Williams - her last game was a retirement in the Miami Open second-round, where she was unable to continue with a knee injury. Other than that, all those who participated in the Madrid Open will feature in Rome and there are likely to be repetitive encounters too. Top half Naomi Osaka, who is seeded number one, features in the top half alongside the likes of Kiki Bertens, Simona Halep, Sloane Stephens and the Williams sisters. Osaka could potentially face 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, as she's aiming to emerge in the big league after a decent display at Wimbledon last summer, where she lost in the semi-finals. Osaka could face a tough fight from the former French Open champion, while the possibility of a tussle between the Williams sisters is likely to occur in the second-round. The winner of that might face another American in Sloane Stephens afterwards, which is remarkable given their distinct age difference. Bottom half The bottom half of the draw includes last year's winner Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Ashleigh Barty and Petra Kvitova. Svitolina has been performing fairly well on clay this year but thus far failed to break deep in any of the tournaments and she could face former world number one Victoria Azarenka in an intriguing second-round encounter. An interesting first-round affair is scheduled between former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and the impressive American Danielle Collins. Although the 25-year-old's talent on clay is yet to be proven, it'll be interesting to see how Wozniacki performs against an intense opponent in her first matchup. Belinda Bencic, a semi-finalist in Madrid, might have the toughest draw as she faces Anastasija Sevastova in her first-round match. Should she survive and progress another round, she could potentially face Barty. Elsewhere Kvitova - a second seed for this tournament - could face Anett Kontaveit for a quarter-final place, should the pair win their respective knockout matches. Potential encounters to look out for in the initial rounds are as follows: First Round, confirmed: Caroline Wozniacki vs Danielle Collins Elina Svitolina vs Victoria Azarenka Serena Williams vs Venus Williams Belinda Bencic vs Anastasija Sevastova Sloane Stephens vs Johanna Konta Potential quarter-final matches: Naomi Osaka vs Kiki Bertens Simona Halep vs Sloane Stephens Elina Svitolina vs Karolina Pliskova Ashleigh Barty vs Petra Kvitova Youth over experience? In this predicted quarter-final lineup, almost all eight players have been consistently performing well recently - although a lot depends on how some, like Bencic or Serena perform in this tournament. For example, if Bencic defeats Sevastova and Barty, she could be in for a quarter-final against Kvitova. Should Serena prevail over Stephens, she might face Halep in the last-eight. The main attraction of the women's draw is just how well this generation of young players have become the sport's torch bearers after their older counterparts almost vanished from tennis completely due to persistent injuries and inconsistency.<doc-sep>This year's Internazionali BNL d'Italia champion will take home a check for €523,858. Elina Svitolina will return to Rome to defend her title as the 2019 Internazionali BNL d'Italia starts, with main draw play beginning on Monday May 13. Gallery: Rulers of Rome: A decade of champions from Safina to Svitolina The winner of the tournament will take home a check for €523,858. The runner-up wins €261,802, with each semifinalist receiving €130,774. Losers in the final eight get €60,240, while players reaching the third round win €29,866. Reaching the second round will mean a player gets €15,330, while those in the first round win €7,879. Now for the pasta capital of the world & @InteBNLdItalia pic.twitter.com/72kAyuy24S — Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) May 11, 2019 Svitolina beat top seed Simona Halep in last year's final 6-0, 6-4 to win her second successive Rome title, beating the Romanian both times. They are joined in the draw this year by World No.1 Naomi Osaka and former finalists Madison Keys, Carla Suárez Navarro, Sara Errani and Victoria Azarenka as well as Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova and four-time winner Serena Williams. Last year's doubles champions were Ashleigh Barty and Demi Schuurs, who defeated Czech pair Andrea Sestini Hlavackova and Barbora Strycova 2-6, 6-4, [10-8] in the final.<doc-sep>
Roger Federer has just confirmed via his Twitter and Instagram accounts that he'll be making the trip to Italy to play at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia for the first time since 2016. The tournament was never part of his official schedule but was always an option and the Swiss had the following to say: Hello everybody, Just finished speaking to the team and happy to say I’m coming back to Rome to play in Italy. Can’t wait. So exciting. It’s been too long. I’ll see you there. Ciao tutti. Bye Federer on his decision to play Rome The draw was announced yesterday before Federer's Quarter-Final against Dominic Thiem and he wasn't able to make say yes or no before playing as his decision rested on the outcome in Madrid. Had he won, then I doubt he'd have played but he obviously feels fresh in the legs and ready to give it a go at the Foro Italico. You can see his projected opponents below. Federer's Projected Opponents Round 1: Bye Round 2: Joao Sousa Round 3: Borna Coric Quarter Final: Stefanos Tsitsipas / Fabio Fognini Semi Final: Rafael Nadal Final: Novak Djokovic Full PDF printable draw. Thoughts on the Draw First up will either is Joao Sousa after he defeated Frances Tiafoe in a third set tie break. That match was a rematch of the 2018 Estoril final which Sousa won in straights but given the Portuguese hadn't had a great start on the clay courts this season I predicted Tiafoe to come through. The American had four match points and was 4-1 up in the final set tiebreaker but Sousa hit back and I think he's a tricky matchup for Roger. The Portuguese is a real road runner and will make Fed hit a lot of balls so that could get interesting if he can't put the ball away on this type of court. Round three immediately gets tougher with Borna Coric as the projected opponent. The Croatian first has to get through Felix Auger Aliassime in the first round which isn't a given. After making the quarterfinals and losing a tight match to Fognini in Monte Carlo, Coric's form has dipped a bit losing early in Hungary and Madrid. Couple that with the fact he's never won a match in Rome means it's not unthinkable Felix comes through that one. For the quarterfinals, Tsitispas and Fognini are the likely candidates and it's hard to see anyone beating them before they face off in the third round. The Greek beat Zverev in Madrid yesterday to make the Semi-Finals so he's in decent form and Fabio has the Monte Carlo title to his name so can beat anyone if he's in the right mood and not covered from head to toe in kinesiology tape. Fognini finally played well on home soil last year in Rome pushing Nadal hard in the quarterfinals so I'd like to see him face off against Roger should they both be able to make the quarterfinals. Into the semi-finals and it's Nadal who is in Roger's section. Rafa hasn't had a great clay court season yet but with eight Rome titles to his name and a 90% win record on Campo Centrale it's difficult to bet against him making it nine this year even he's yet to contest a final on his beloved clay. With Nadal in Roger's half, Djokovic is in the other and is the top seed. Like Nadal, he too has a great record in Rome with 4 titles and 4 runner's up trophies. Although his half looks tougher with Del Potro, Zverev, Nishikori, Cilic, Monfils, Medvedev and Cecchinato all in that side of the draw. So an interesting move from Roger to play here. I was a bit surprised but when I saw his name in the draw it became far likelier he'd be playing and I'm looking forward to seeing if he can match his performance in Madrid. Rome is far more of a traditional clay court in terms of speed so it will require a bit of a change in approach for Fed and how he plays. More angles and longer rallies will be the order of the day. No ball change as it's still the Dunlop Fort Clay Court in use which does help and he has played well in Rome many times despite never winning it so let's see what he can do 💪 What are your thoughts on the draw?