Very rich Thursday, at the Foro Italico, where the attendance records have been beaten for two days (36,803 spectators yesterday). Jannik Sinner after the victorious derby with Fabio Fognini – who then “remade” himself at the Olimpico with the victory of his Inter – returns to the field in the third match of the day, opposite the Croatian Filip Krajnovic, looking for a place in the quarterfinals. Between the two, only one precedent, last year on the fast indoor Sofia: in the semifinal Jannik won in two sets and then ended up winning the title for the second consecutive year.
Before him, at the opening of the program, the match between the Australian Alex De Minaur and the seeded number 2 Sasha Zverev, followed by the one between the number 1 of the world Iga Swiatek challenges the former number 1 Vika Azarenka in the key match of the women’s day. After Sinner, two men’s matches for gourmets: Novak Djokovic opposed to Stan Wawrinka, remake of 25 previous challenges, including two Grand Slam finals – Roland Garros 2015 and Us Open 2015 – both won by Stan The Man, who today after an ordeal of interventions such as both knees at the age of 37 tries to climb from the number 361 Atp. Two precedents also in the final in Rome: in 2008 and 2011, and both times the Djoker won.
The match between Nadal and Shapovalov also has the flavor of rematch – the evening session will begin at 18.30 – given that in 2021 in the quarter-finals of the Foro Rafa he prevailed on the Canadian only after three carambolesque sets concluded by a tie-break. At the end of the program, the challenge between the top seed of the female, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina. On the Grand Stand, keep an eye on the second match, between Karen Khachanov and Stafanos Tsitsipas, which will decide the opponent of the winner between Sinner and Krajicek.
Central
Alex de Minaur vs Alexander Zverev (2)
Iga Swiatek (1) vs Victoria Azarenka (16)
Filip Krajinovic vs Jannik Sinner (10)
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Stan Wawrinka
Rafael Nadal (3) vs Denis Shapovalov (13)
Daria Kasatkina vs. Paula Badosa (2)
Grand Stand Arena
Aryna Sabalenka (3) vs Jessica Pegula (13)
Karen Khachanov vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (4)
Cristian Garin vs Marin Cilic
Coco Gauff (15) vs Maria Sakkari (4)
Bolelli / Fognini vs Peralta / Skugor
Campo Pietrangeli
Jil Teichmann vs Elena Rybakina
Marcos Giron vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (8)
Amanda Anisimova vs Danielle Collins (7)
Jenson Brooksby vs Casper Ruud (5)
Yulia Putintseva vs Ons Jabeur (9)
Campo 1
Paolini / Trevisan vs Xu / Yang (7)
Bianca Andreescu vs Petra Martic
Golubev/Gonzalez vs. Ebden/Purcell