Top Six Headline Rome Third Round Action

There are 11 seeds in third round action on Thursday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, led by the top six of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori. The first five players have captured 53 of the past 56 ATP Masters 1000 titles (since ’10 Monte-Carlo).

For the second day in a row, Federer opens proceedings on Center Court against the second-youngest player in the Top 20 Emirates ATP Rankings, 22-year-old Dominic Thiem, the No. 13 seed. Federer won the previous meeting 61 64 in the semi-finals of Brisbane in the opening week of the season. Federer is one match win away from tying Ivan Lendl with 1,071 wins on the Open Era list. Thiem, who comes in with a 31-9 match record on the season, the second-most match wins behind Djokovic (34), has a 3-13 career record against Top 10 opponents (2-4 this year). 

In the third match on, 21-year-old Next Generation star Nick Kyrgios, the youngest player left, looks for his second win against seven-time Rome champion Nadal. Kyrgios won the previous meeting in the 4R at Wimbledon two years ago, firing 37 aces. The young Aussie posted his career-best fifth Top 10 win of the season on Wednesday over No. 10 Raonic. Nadal leads the ATP World Tour this year with an 18-3 clay court record, winning 14 of his past 15 matches. The only time he’s lost prior to the quarter-finals in Rome in 11 previous appearances was in 2008 (2R, l. to Ferrero).

In the evening session, World No. 1 and two-time reigning champion Djokovic brings a 5-0 career record against Brazilian left-hander Thomaz Bellucci. Djokovic, a four-time overall winner in Rome, is looking to reach the quarter-finals or better here for the 10th consecutive year. He’s won his last 11 matches in Rome and is 34-2 on the season. Bellucci has a 5-33 career record (0-1 in 2016) vs. Top 10 opponents and he’s looking to break a 19-match losing streak vs. Top 10 since his last win over No. 8 Tipsarevic in the final of 2012 Gstaad.

On Grandstand, No. 11 seed Richard Gasquet looks to avenge last week’s loss to Nishikori at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid. The Frenchman leads the overall head-to-head meetings 6-1. In the next match on, French lucky loser Lucas Pouille looks for his second win against No. 9 David Ferrer. Pouille saved one match point in his three-set 3R win over the Spaniard at ATP Masters 1000 Miami. Ferrer is trying to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time in 13 appearances. In the last match on, No. 8 Tomas Berdych takes a 2-0 record against No. 12 seed David Goffin. This is their first meeting on clay.

On Pietrangeli, Juan Monaco of Argentina takes on Wawrinka, who has won the four previous meetings, including their last encounter here in the 2R one year ago. In the next match on, Frenchman Jeremy Chardy squares off with Murray, who leads the head-to-head 7-1 (2-0 on clay). Murray won the last two meetings on clay last year here and at Roland Garros. Both players are trying to reach the quarter-finals in Rome for the second time in three years. Chardy has a 9-43 career record vs. Top 10 opponents.