The Internazionali BNL d’Italia has had great surprises in this first week, with many favorites falling in the first matches, showing that at the Foro Italico in Rome, anything can happen.
When:
May 8 – May 21, 2023
Where?
Rome, ITA
Where can I watch it?
Masters 1000 Rome: Men
On the men’s side, the biggest surprise is that of Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish, who came as the top favorite after his titles in Barcelona and Madrid, lost in the round of 32 against the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, who came from qualifying, by 6-3 and 7-6 (4). Now Marozsan will go against Borna Coric while Alcaraz prepares for Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic is now the top contender for the title. He just beat Grigor Dimitrov (26) in three sets and will go against Cameron Norrie (13), who has yet to drop a set in this tournament. Despite the Serbian’s recent injuries, Nole always thrives on big events and surely this will not be the exception.
Among the surprises in these first rounds are the falls of Taylor Fritz (9) against Yannick Hanfmann (Q) 6-4, 6-1, that of Felix Auger-Aliassime (10) versus Alexei Popyrin (Q) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, and that of Sebastian Korda (22) against Roman Safiullin (Q) 6-2, 7-6 (5), three seeds that fell against three players who came from the qualification stage. Hanfmann, who had previously beaten Nicolás Jarry, then beat Marco Cecchinato and is now in the round of 16, where he will face Andrey Rublev (6). On the other hand, Popyrin defeated Safiullin and will now play against Holger Rune (7).
Likewise, Karen Khachanov (11), Hubert Hurkacz (14), Tommy Paul (16), Alex de Minaur (17), Daniel Evans (20), Roberto Bautista Agut (21), Botic Van de Zandschulp (23), Yoshihito Nishioka (25) were the other seeds to drop in their first game.
Masters 1000 Rome: Women
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek (1) is on her way to defending the title she achieved last year. She swept her first two games where she only gave up 2 sets, and now in the round of 16, she will face the Croatian Donna Vekic. The Polish, number 1 in the world, has only 1 loss in her last 12 games, all on clay. The fall was in the final in Madrid against Aryna Sabalenka.
Precisely Sabalenka (2), who came as Swiatek’s great rival since they met last month in the finals of Stuttgart and Madrid, was surprised in the first round by the American Sofia Kenin, 134th in the world, and lost with sets from 7-6 (4), 6-2.
As in the men’s draw, here too there were surprises. In addition to seeding 2 of the tournament, they also lost 3, 4, 5, and 6, some of them against rivals who came from the qualification stage: the American Jessica Pegula (3) lost to her compatriot Taylor Townsend (Q) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Tunisian Ons Jabeur (4), a finalist last year, fell to Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-4; Caroline García (5) could not with the Colombian María Camila Osorio and was defeated with a double 6-4; while Cori Gauff (6) lost to Marie Bouzkova (27) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Regarding the quarterfinals, Elena Rybakina (7) is already waiting, who would be Swiatek’s rival if the Polish advance and, maybe, the only one capable of stopping the number 1 from achieving her third consecutive title in Rome.
In the quarterfinals of the women’s draw, Rybakina and probably Swiatek are the only 2 players who were a seed in the top 10 of the tournament. This proves that in the WTA there are always many surprises.
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