ROME, May 10, 2015
The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is held in one of the most atmospheric and historic venues in international sport – the Foro Italico – a multi sporting venue that hosted the Olympic Games in 1960. As well as great tennis facilities holding a combined event with men and women since 2011, the site also boasts the Stadio Olimpico (home to Italian football clubs Roma and Lazio) and the Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto, which hosted the 2009 Swimming World Championships.
Foro Italico Rome
The tennis facilities enjoyed a facelift in 2010 when the new 10,500 seat centre court and it was Rafael Nadal winning his fifth Rome title within six years. The fourth seeded Spaniard also captured the title in 2012 and 2013 and is looking to lift his eighth trophy when he is taking on Adrian Mannarino or a qualifier in his opening match at the 2015 edition.
Nadal lost last year to Novak Djokovic, who is chasing his fourth Rome title. The Serbs holds a 29-5 match record in the capital city of Italy, having claimed the title in 2008, 2011 and 2014. Djokovic is on a 17-match winning streak and is bidding to win his fourth title in a row, following victories in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. The world number one skipped the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid last week and will face the winner of Italian wild card Luca Vanni and Nicolas Almagro in his opening match in Rome.
Centre Court Rome
Roger Federer is still looking to win his very first Rome title, having finished runner-up three times previously in 2003 (lost to Felix Mantilla), 2006 (lost to Rafael Nadal) and 2013 (lost to Rafael Nadal). The second seeded Swiss will take on the winner of Italian wild card Paolo Lorenzi and Pablo Cuevas.
An in-form Andy Murray comes into Rome two weeks after winning his first clay court title at the ATP 250 in Munich and one week after reaching the final in Madrid. The Scot’s best showing in Rome came in 2011, when he reached the semi-finals. Murray will be seeded third and faces either Jeremy Chardy or Lukas Rosol in his opening encounter. Murray and the Czech had a little dispute in Munich two weeks ago when Rosol bumped into the Brit during a changeover.
Further read ATP 250 Munich – Day 6: href=”https://www.tennistourtalk.com/?p=2207
