De gebruikelijke preview
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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Masters Rome, Italy)
After Monte Carlo this is the second Masters tournament on clay. There is a total of $2,450,000 in prize money available and it promises to be a great week! Last year's final was very special even though the fixture: Nadal vs Federer was no surprise. The encounter between the world's number one and two was the closest ever on clay between them and ended in a 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) win for Nadal, who survived two matchpoints and equaled Guillermo Vilas' Open Era record 53-match winning streak on clay with this. This year he will be looking for his third win in a row. Other currently active winners are Kuerten (1999), Ferrero (2001), Mantilla (2003) and Moya (2004).
This year Rome has a great field of players once again with one title favorite: Rafael Nadal. Other great names in the field are of course Federer, Gonzalez, Blake, Robredo, Berdych, Ljubicic and Murray. Of course some players can be neglected for the title, mainly because of lack of form and fitness or because of the surface. Federer qon't be liking his part of the draw with (probable) early matches against Almagro, Gasquet and Berdych (from 2nd to QF). I expect the following quarter finals:
Federer v Gasquet (Federer)
Massu v Ferrer (Ferrer)
Canas v Calleri (Canas)
Djokovic v Nadal (Nadal)
If I look at the early rounds I would be looking to lay players as Hewitt, Safin, Davydenko, Baghdatis/Stepanek/Haas (all in same part), Rochus, Fish and Ljubicic. Final winner will be Nadal, no doubt!
Website:
www.internazionalibnlditalia.it