ATP Rome Tennis Men`s Singles Preview

Undoubtedly the talk ahead of this final ATP Tour event before the French Open will be on the absence of Roger Federer from the Mutua Madrid Masters. The legendary figure took time out from his planned schedule to spend time with his wife Mirka, who is due to give birth in the next few weeks.

While it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Federer could return here, it seems pretty unlikely. It seems far more probable that Federer would stay with his wife for at least another week, and thus we cannot expect to see the 17 time Grand Slam winner competing in this Masters 1,000 event.

Federer has stated publicly that he may miss the French Open, and won’t be scared to do so if he deems his family life to be more important. This was considered a surprising proclamation from the Swiss, but the statement will be taken more seriously now that he has missed a major clay court even in Madrid.

That said, there is nearly three weeks to the French Open, and the organisers are sure to give Federer every opportunity to play at Roland Garros. The French Open generally doesn’t spread the first round over three days like the US Open, so this will mean that Federer will need to play on one of the first two days of the tournament. So his time with Mirka will need to be somewhat less than three weeks, which opens up the very real possibility that Federer will miss his first Grand Slam since 2000, particularly as Federer has stated that he will be with his wife for a “few weeks.”

Another player likely to be missing here is Novak Djokovic. The world number two is experiencing complications with a wrist injury, which will worry fans of the Serb given how problematical such injuries can be for tennis players. Djokovic and Federer both pulling out of the Madrid Masters meant that the tournament had a very unusual feel. While Federer will certainly miss Rome, we don’t know whether Djokovic will play or not, but it is surely likely that he will give it a miss with the season’s second Grand Slam on the horizon.

This leaves things rather open for Rafael Nadal. The eight-time French Open champion is a major favourite for any clay court event as it is, but without his two main rivals in the field, he will certainly fancy his chances of picking up yet another clay court title.

Who is likely to stop Nadal in Rome? Well, his compatriot David Ferrer beat him recently and is always a capable performer on clay, having reached the final of Roland Garros last season. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga plays well on clay. Stanislas Wawrinka is likely to be second seed, and his season is getting better and better. Andy Murray will be hoping to improve his clay court record. And Fabio Fognini is a very capable player on the red dirt.

But don’t bet against Nadal.

Tip – Rafael Nadal to win Secondary Tip - Stanislas Wawrinka to make the final

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06/05/2014     © Frixo 2026