Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Rome match.
After a couple of lacklustre outings in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, where Daniil Medvedev failed to reach the semi-finals, he will be looking to make a strong statement in the Italian capital. The Russian needs a solid start in Rome as he builds towards Roland Garros. Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie has already shown signs of vulnerability in the Italian capital — and could struggle again on Friday.
Cameron Norrie
Norrie stumbled in the final qualifying round, losing to Dušan Lajović (1:6, 6:4, 3:6) in a match littered with 39 unforced errors over 124 minutes. Although he bounced back in the first round by beating world No. 81 Christopher O’Connell in straight sets (6:3, 6:2), his serve remained shaky, landing just 56% of first serves. The Brit has already played 10 clay-court matches over the past month, but when it comes to facing top-tier opponents, he’s clearly finding it tough to compete.
Daniil Medvedev
As for Medvedev, his Madrid campaign ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual champion Casper Ruud (3:6, 5:7). The Norwegian didn’t play flawless tennis either — Medvedev actually had the edge in winners (22–17) and committed fewer unforced errors (21–33). Earlier in the tournament, the Russian dispatched Francisco Cerúndolo (6:2, 6:2) and Brandon Nakashima (3:6, 6:1, 6:4) with confidence, showing glimpses of his clay-court potential. With Roland Garros just two weeks away, expectations are rising for the former world No. 1 to find his top form.
Cameron Norrie vs Daniil Medvedev Prediction
The head-to-head heavily favours Medvedev, who leads 3–0 — all on hard courts, all in straight sets. Now, on the slower clay of Rome, he remains the clear favourite and should have little trouble advancing to at least the quarter-finals.
