Rome, Italy Betting Tips from our Experts
The Italian Open, also known as the Rome Masters for the men’s singles competition, was founded almost 90 years ago in 1930, and is one of the most renowned clay competitions on the tennis calendar. Held at the Foro Italico annually in late May, this competition is the final rehearsal before the biggest tennis tournament on clay - The French Open. Last year’s champions were Rafael Nadal, who has won the competition a record eight times, while Elina Svitolina defended her title in the women’s Italian Open.
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HOW TO BET ON THE ROME MASTERS
- Seeding: Based on player’s past performances and their ATP or WTA world rankings, the opponents that a player will face in the Rome Masters will be determined by seeding. The highest seeded players will be exempt from the first round, making their journey at the Foro Italico that little bit easier.
- Past Performances: Clay courts are perhaps the most difficult surfaces to play on, so a player’s past performances can indicate how they will play in an upcoming tournament. Rafael Nadal, for example, has been dubbed the ‘King of Clay’ and has won the men’s singles more than any other player (8 times).
- Physical and Mental State: The Rome Masters follows directly after the Madrid Masters, another intense clay competition, so a player’s physical or mental state can be affected following the previous tournament. Similarly, the French Open follows shortly after the Rome Masters, so it is important to consider whether a player is trying to conserve energy or build momentum going into this renowned Grand Slam tournament.
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OUR MEN’S SINGLES PREDICTION: Rafael Nadal
This season so far has not been kind to Nadal - he was knocked out of the Semi Final of the Madrid Masters just last week, despite his history of victory in the competition. The Spaniard will need to build up some momentum and confidence going into Roland Garros, and a win in Rome would be the way to do this. Other names to watch out for this year will be, of course, Novak Djokovic - who won the Madrid Masters just last week - and Roger Federer - who will make his return to the competition for the first time since 2016. In addition to tennis’ ‘Big Three’, there are some younger faces who could challenge for the title, including Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem.
OUR WOMEN’S SINGLES PREDICTION: Simona Halep
The Romanian has been runner-up in the last two editions of the Rome Masters, losing out to Elina Svitolina on both occasions. 2019 could be the year for the current French Open title holder however, as she will be out for revenge after her defeat in the Madrid Open final last week. Some of the other names to watch out for in this competition will be Kiki Bertens - who won last week’s Madrid Masters - world no.1 Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams - making her return just in time for Roland Garros.
