Defending champion undisputable favourite to lift a fourth Masters 1000 title in a row
Outright Prediction – Novak Djokovic – 9/10
With titles in Australia, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo this season, Novak Djokovic is leaps and bounds above every other player in the field. Hugely motivated to win the French Open in just a few weeks time, Novak will understand the importance of a title run in Rome after he chose to skip the Madrid Masters.
Candidates who are likely to stop him winning the title this week look few and far between. Federer is out of form, Raonic out of the tournament with an injury and Nishikori still relatively unproven at Masters 1000 level. Nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal looks the obvious choice, and will benefit from not having to play the Serb until the final. Djokovic, however, swept the Spaniard aside in their last clay court meeting in Monte Carlo and it would take a brave man to bet against this happening again.
Closest Contender – Andy Murray – 10/1
It’s like London buses for Andy Murray, he waits 12 years for a clay court title, then two come in a fortnight. Andy’s demolition of Nadal in the final of Madrid is an indicator of how much the Scot has improved on clay this year, and he is now a definite contender for the Rome and French Open titles. His route to the final this week is, admittedly, tough with his nemesis Djokovic likely waiting in the semi-finals. If the pair were to meet, however, Murray can take great confidence from their last match in Rome which went all the way to a final set tiebreaker. The Scot is certainly worth a punt for a third clay court title in a row.
Best of the rest – David Ferrer – 22/1
Ferrer is often overlooked at the Masters events due to his lack of premium titles, but the Spaniard is always around at the latter stages, making him a constant threat. He has an excellent record in Rome, reaching the final in 2010 and the semi-final in 2011. He will benefit from a kind draw where he will likely face Murray for a semi-final place. The Spaniard has a 4-0 head to head record against Andy on the red dirt and will fancy his chances of dislodging the Scot and going on a deep run this year.
