Roger and Rafa head Rome Masters field
Rafael Nadal proved as unstoppable as he appeared at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters this month, but at this week’s Rome Masters 1000 Roger Federer is back among the challengers.
For Nadal, Rome was the last title he won last year before injury woes derailed his year. For Federer, it was just another clay court warm-up before he kicked up a gear to defeat Rafa in the final of the Madrid Masters and then complete his career Grand Slam in the French Open at Roland Garros.
Last year, Nadal held court in Rome as the undisputed King of Clay but in 2010 it’s arguable that with the way Federer concluded the clay court season he’s got claims to favouritism on a surface that the Spaniard has hitherto made his own.
Most though, will believe the title here is the defending champion’s to lose, and it’s an easy case to mount. It’s his favourite surface, we’ve seen him at his consummate best on clay in Monte-Carlo within the last couple of weeks, and he’s won here for four of the past five years.
In contrast, Federer’s best efforts in Rome were as runner-up in 2006, clay has always been his weakest surface, and even his hard-court form at the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami left something to be desired.
There will be plenty in the draw, however, who will believe it’s by no means a fait accompli that one of these two will win the title in Rome this year, even with Federer coming off his best year on clay in 2009.
With Roger and Rafa on the same side of the draw, and on a potential collision course for a semi-final showdown, there’s plenty of room for others to harbour hopes of reaching the deciding match, provided the draw has been kind.
Robin Soderling, runner-up at the Barcelona Open last weekend, potentially has to overcome both the Swiss and the Spanish No. 1’s to even reach the final in Rome. The hard-hitting Swede managed to eliminate Nadal at last year’s French Open, but completing the rare double eluded him against Federer in the final.
Among those who would fancy their chances is Fernando Verdasco, who was making up the numbers against Nadal in the Monte-Carlo final, but whose Barcelona Open title will have instilled the confidence that on dirt he’s up there with the best.
“I really feel like I can beat anyone else [other than Nadal] right now and I think I have a good chance of making more finals on clay," Verdasco told a press conference after his win in Barcelona.
Tucked safely away in the half of the draw that doesn’t include either of Federer or Nadal, the 26-year-old might be confident that his third consecutive final beckons on clay this spring.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic is perhaps the main obstacle in Verdasco’s way (that’s a potential quarter-final match-up) but the world No. 9 has already defeated the Serb once this month, in the semis at Monte-Carlo. Andy Murray also sits in the same side of the draw, but on current form the Scot won’t be striking fear into the hearts of many potential opponents in Rome.
Monte-Carlo and Barcelona have been fine curtain-raisers to the European clay court season, but with Federer joining the field in Rome, and four of the top five present, the third Masters 1000 event of the year will start to provide a truer picture of where the big names sit less than a month out from the French Open.
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