The ATP’s Internazionali BNL d-Italia tournament now lurches ahead into the second round for all remaining players on the Wednesday schedule and so do our tennis picks. We had a productive day with the card on Tuesday as we went 3-0 with our selections. Stan Wawrinka was one of our biggest chalks and he didn’t exactly make it easy for us. Up against Benoit Paire, we were expecting a straight sets win but he actually dropped the first set before bouncing back and taking the next two. We also had Roberto Bautista to beat Paolo Lorenzi and he didn’t have any issues there. Lorenzi only managed to win four games the entire match. Lastly, we had Lucas Pouille to win in three sets against Ernestis Gulbis and that’s exactly what he did. He lost the first set but won the final two.
On Wednesday, you’re going to see all the really big stars of the ATP Tour on the card, and in the three matches featured below, Rafael Nadal is the main attraction. Nadal must win Rome and get help elsewhere in the tournament if he is to enter the French Open as a co-favorite with Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber
There is a lot of anticipation in Rome for the possible quarterfinal meeting between Nadal and Djokovic. It is rare that the two players are in the same quarter of the draw, but this happened at the French Open last year, and it has now happened in Rome as well, with Nadal being seeded outside the top four (No. 5). The winner of a Nadal-Djokovic quarterfinal could play Roger Federer in the semifinals. It is the first time all three players have been in the same half of the draw. Nadal wants to get past Djokovic and win the tournament, but before that, he has to get to the quarterfinals to play Djokovic. First, he must pass a couple of tests in the earlier rounds, and Wednesday’s challenge is Kohlschreiber, who was the champion in Munich a few weeks ago, having beaten Dominic Thiem of Austria in the final. Kohlschreiber does well in Munich, but he doesn’t do well at all in Masters tournaments or Grand Slam events. His history with Nadal is one with very few moments of satisfaction. He gives the appearance of a completely doomed and outclassed opponent in this match. It would be hard, if not impossible, to bet on Kohlschreiber. Nadal is the natural choice here for your tennis picks here.
Pick: Nadal in straight sets
David Ferrer vs. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez
This should be a fascinating and close match between two Spaniards. These are both longtime veterans of the tour. They know each other’s games well, so there will not be any surprises. Ferrer’s career has stalled. He’s no longer going deep into Masters or Grand Slam tournaments. He has lost some footspeed and has been injured at times. He is not the same player he was in 2013, when he made the French Open final, or even in 2014, when he was more relevant on tour. It should be a struggle for Ferrer to get through this match, but compared to Garcia-Lopez, Ferrer is a tougher and more resolute player who should be able to find solutions under pressure. Ferrer should win this, 6-3 in the third set. Take him with your tennis picks.
Pick: Ferrer in three sets
Roberto Bautista-Agut vs. Jeremy Chardy
This is a matchup in which Chardy will hope that he can replicate what he did in Rome two years ago. He was down match point to Roger Federer in the second round, but he saved that point with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner. He then won the match, one of the bigger achievements of his modest career. Can he do something big this year? Bautista-Agut is a tough opponent, someone who gets a lot out of his game and covers the court extremely well. On clay, Bautista-Agut’s game should match up well with Chardy. Take Bautista-Agut with your tennis picks here.
Pick: Bautista-Agut in three sets
