The opening Sunday on the 2023 Internazionali BNL d’Italia sees all gamers within the high half of the draw on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion battling for a spot within the fourth spherical, in addition to the conclusion of second-round motion after rain suspended play on Saturday night time.

Defending champion and high seed Novak Djokovic takes on Grigor Dimitrov for the twelfth time at Tour degree, whereas dwelling hope Jannik Sinner meets Alexander Shevchenko. The native followers can even cheer on Fabio Fognini because the Italian seeks a third-round upset towards seventh seed Holger Rune.

Among the many remaining second-round matches, Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to see dwelling his set-and-a-break lead towards Nuno Borges, whereas Daniil Medvedev meets Emil Ruusuvuori and Alexander Zverev faces David Goffin.

ATPTour.com previews a few of the standout matches on the Day 5 schedule in Rome.

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [26] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)

Djokovic might maintain a 10-1 ATP Head2Head collection lead towards Dimitrov, however the pair is 1-1 on clay. Each these conferences got here approach again in 2013, when Dimitrov triumphed in Madrid earlier than Djokovic gained his revenge at Roland Garros.

The Serbian has received 4 of his six Rome titles since that final clay-court conflict with Dimitrov, and the highest seed will hope to remain on monitor for a record-extending thirty ninth ATP Masters 1000 crown by downing the previous World No. 3 on the Foro Italico. Regardless of some early struggles in his second-round match towards Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Djokovic pulled via to enhance to 65-10 at an occasion the place he has by no means failed to achieve the quarter-finals in 16 earlier appearances.

In a match towards an opponent with no recognisable weak point to focus on, Dimitrov’s capability to accumulate free factors on his serve will probably be key to his probabilities. The 31-year-old received 35 of 40 first-serve factors in his opening match towards Stan Wawrinka, and Dimitrov is relishing the prospect to tackle Djokovic as he chases his second Prime 10 win of the yr.

“I like these matches,” Dimitrov mentioned. “I’ve been on Tour for therefore lengthy, I really feel comfy to play towards these guys. I do know I don’t have the most effective report towards him, however I prefer to play towards him and any of the highest guys to see the place I’m at. You by no means know the way it’s going to go on the finish of the day. I all the time like my probabilities, so that you by no means know the way it’s going to go.”

[8] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [LL] Alexander Shevchenko

The 21-year-old Sinner may hardly have made a greater begin to his bid to grow to be the primary Italian man to triumph in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976. The eighth seed breezed via a doubtlessly troublesome opener towards Thanasi Kokkinakis to keep up his red-hot ATP Masters 1000 type.

The Miami finalist Sinner is now 13-3 at Masters 1000 degree for the season and can hope dwelling help also can assist energy him previous Shevchenko on Sunday. The Italian’s consistency this yr, when he has reached no less than the quarter-finals in all seven ATP Tour occasions he has performed, has propelled him to fifth place within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Race To Turin.

Sinner will probably be cautious of the risk Shevchenko poses, nonetheless. The 22-year-old fortunate loser has risen to a career-high No. 93 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings off the again of a 17-6 report at ATP Challenger Tour degree and a run to the third spherical on Masters 1000 main-draw debut in Madrid, the place he pushed Daniil Medvedev to a few units.

With each gamers most comfy putting large from the baseline, the end result of the pair’s maiden ATP Head2Head conflict might depend upon whether or not Sinner can replicate his free-hitting show towards Kokkinakis. If he does, the house favorite will probably be a tough man to cease.

[7] Holger Rune (DEN) vs. [WC] Fabio Fognini (ITA)

A popcorn conflict between considered one of ATP Tour’s younger stars and a charasmatic dwelling veteran guarantees an intriguing spectacle for followers on the Foro Italico.

The seventh-seeded Rune made a powerful Rome debut on Friday, when he eased previous his #NextGenATP rival Arthur Fils in straight units. Nevertheless, the vastly skilled Fognini, who will probably be backed by his adoring dwelling crowd, will present a stern take a look at of the 20-year-old Dane’s capability to deal with one of the vibrant atmospheres on Tour on the Foro Italico.

Rune will hope for a repeat of his straight-sets win within the pair’s solely earlier tour-level assembly in Montreal final yr. Fognini, a 2018 quarter-finalist in Rome and a pure entertainer, will hope some extra moments of magic will help him add to his opening victories towards former World No. 1 Andy Murray and thirtieth seed Miomir Kecmanovic.

Match of the Day Sunday @InteBNLdItalia @fabiofogna vs @holgerrune2003

Rune leads the Head 2 Head 1-0 with a win in Montreal in 2022 (6-3 7-5)

We have taken a glance again on the #Insights from that match 👀📊 …#TennisInsights | @atptour pic.twitter.com/Qkzzl4xpZF

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) Could 13, 2023

[3] Daniil Medvedev vs. Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)

Ruusuvuori practically knocked out Carlos Alcaraz in his earlier match, main the Spaniard by a set as he placed on an influence tennis clinic in Madrid. Whereas he fell simply quick on that event, he can have one other alternative for a giant upset in Rome towards Medvedev.

Identical to in Madrid, the Finn superior to the second spherical by beating Ugo Humbert, this time in a third-set tie-break. However that is the place the similarities might finish.

The matchup towards Medvedev could be very completely different from the one towards Alcaraz, who was at dwelling on the purple clay of Spain. Medvedev has by no means made a secret of his struggles on the filth, although he compiled a 4-2 report throughout Monte-Carlo and Madrid as he continues to work on his clay-court sport.

Medvedev mentioned that he feels nice bodily getting into Rome, and he defined a few of his efforts to adapt to the clay in latest weeks.

“[Playing with] some extra spin,” Medvedev mentioned in his pre-tournament press convention. “Particularly the sliding, I believe the sliding was all the time an issue [for me]. After Madrid, after I misplaced, a pair days I practised there, I attempted to give attention to the sliding, on the motion. I felt like I improved in these couple of days.”

Additionally In Motion…

Fourth seed Casper Ruud and thirteenth seed Cameron Norrie hope to again up sturdy opening performances of their third-round matches towards Alexander Bublik and Marton Fucsovics, respectively. Francisco Cerundolo is the opposite seed in motion, because the Argentine takes on the in-form Frenchman Gregoire Barrere.

A quartet of gamers who upset seeded opponents within the second spherical additionally look to increase their keep in Rome, though solely two will stay within the draw after Sunday’s play. Alexei Popyrin, who beat Felix Auger-Aliassime for his third Prime 10 win of the yr on Friday, performs fellow qualifier Roman Safiullin, whereas Cristian Garin takes on Laslo Djere.