By Matthew Marolf
What today’s schedule lacks in top names, it makes up for in gripping stories. There’s the three-time Major champion fighting to get back to the top of the sport. A two-time Major champion looking to get her career back on track after a bitter custody battle with her child’s father.
Both year-end champions from last year, who are yet to advance beyond the quarterfinals of a Major, and currently struggling to win matches at all. And two Italians with strong clay court credentials playing on their nation’s biggest tennis stadium.
Stan Wawrinka vs. David Goffin
Here are two former top 10 players fighting to return to that level. Coming off knee surgery the year before, Wawrinka never got back to 100% in 2018, going just 17-17 on the year. He’s improved on that this season, already almost matching his number of wins from last year. But despite two impressive victories this season over Kei Nishikori, Stan is yet to achieve any significant results. And last week in Madrid, he was demolished by Rafael Nadal, taking just three games.
Goffin ended his 2017 on a high, by defeating both Nadal and Federer at the ATP Finals. But he was slowed down by multiple injuries last year, and has more losses than wins in 2019. Wawrinka leads their head-to-head 3-1, though Goffin won their most recent clash. All four matches have been close, with half the sets they’ve played decided by a tiebreak. Stan is the more in-form player of the two, and he won’t mind the cold, heavy conditions in Rome giving him extra time to set up his big groundstrokes.
Elina Svitolina (5) vs. Victoria Azarenka (WC)
It’s rare to consider a player ranked outside the top 50 a favourite over the No.6 player in the world. But that’s the case here, with a two-time Major champion against a player on a three-match losing streak. Svitolina has been battling a knee injury for the past few months.
She was forced to withdraw from Stuttgart a few weeks ago, and hasn’t won a match since Indian Wells. And this is a tough draw for her first match in Rome, in a champion who seems just one or two big wins away from recapturing her mojo. Azarenka dropped just three games yesterday against Shuai Zheng of China, and I like her chances of advancing here as well.
Other Notable Matches on Tuesday in Rome:
Sascha Zverev (4), who is just 6-7 since March, vs. Italian Wild Card Matteo Berrettini. Berrettini is in line to be seeded at Roland Garros coming off a nine-match win streak on clay between Budapest and Munich. This will be a dangerous opening match for the fourth seed in front of a partisan crowd.
Anastasija Sevastova (12) vs. Belinda Bencic, who is now back in the top 15, and made the semis in Madrid last week.
In another encounter between two top 20 players, Karen Khachanov (11) vs. Roberto Bautista Agut. RBA is 3-1 against Khachanov, though the Russian took their only match on clay.
In a battle between two countrywomen and former doubles champions who no longer get along, Caroline Garcia vs. Kristina Mladenovic.
Italian No.2 Marco Cecchinato, in his first tournament back home since last year’s shocking run to the French Open semi-finals, vs. perennial tough out Philipp Kohlschreiber.
