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Having suffered a temporary blip after his Australian Open title win, Novak Djokovic is well and truly back. If anyone had any doubt about his hunger and form, then the World No. 1 did everything to quell it with his performance in Madrid.
He is yet to reach peak form on clay, yet that did not matter for he did not drop a set on his way to capturing the Madrid title for the third time in his career. The Serb will now arrive at the Rome Masters with all the confidence that he needs as he sets his eyes on back-to-back Masters titles on clay, something that he did in 2011.
The four-time Rome champion could face either Denis Shapovalov or Pablo Carreno Busta in his opener and a possible pre-quarter-final showdown with the veteran, Philipp Kohlschreiber awaits. Seventh-seeded Juan Martin del Potro could be his first big challenge in the quarters while the former winner and fourth seed Alexander Zverev or sixth seed Kei Nishikori or ninth seed Marin Cilic has the potential to trouble him in the semi-finals.
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The bottom half will surely draw the lion's share of attention for it has both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal's lack of sharpness has been surprising, considering the fabulous way he started the year by reaching the final of the Australian Open. Three semi-final losses on his most successful surface don't bode well for his chances of a record-extending 12th Roland Garros crown.
However, the King of Clay can never be counted out on the red dirt. The Spaniard, who is going for his ninth title at the Italian capital, has an uphill task in his path for there waits for him the Barcelona champion Dominic Thiem who halted his run at the Catalan capital. The presence of Fabio Fognini and Stefanos Tsitsipas in his half, who defeated him in Monte Carlo and Madrid respectively, doesn't present a rosy picture of his chances either until and unless the 17-time Grand Slam champion finds his imperious best self.
Four-time runner-up Federer is there as well and could meet his great rival in the last-four stage only if he succeeds in overcoming the likes of Fognini or Tsitsipas on clay, which is likely not to be easy.
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Here is all you need to know about the Rome Masters:
Tournament name: Internazionali BNL D'Italia
Date: May 11-19 2019
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Location: Foro Italico, Rome
Surface: Clay
Where to watch the Rome Masters in the USA?
Tennis Channel will show the Rome Masters live in the USA.
Where to watch the Rome Masters in the UK & Europe?
Amazon Prime Video will show the Rome Masters live in the UK.
Where to watch the Rome Masters in India?
In India, the Rome Masters will be shown live on Sony ESPN.
Live Stream Details and Info for the Rome Masters
Live Stream for the Rome Masters is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
2019 Rome Masters news, updates, schedule, results and more on Sportskeeda
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