The 2025 ATP Rome Masters continues on Wednesday, May 14 as Carlos Alcaraz faces Jack Draper and Alexander Zverev takes on Lorenzo Musetti lead the charge. You can get the best predictions and tips for the day from this tournament here.
Jack Draper v Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper renew their rivalry in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, with the Spaniard leading their head to head 3–2. Draper had defeated Alcaraz in Indian Wells the last time they faced off.
This marks their first meeting on clay, adding an intriguing surface dimension to a matchup that has already swung both ways on hard courts.
Alcaraz brings an all-court aggression built around a devastating forehand and a creative drop shot, underpinned by elite movement and counterpunching skills . Draper counters with a unique left-handed serve pattern—mixing slices and flat deliveries—and a forehand that channels Nadal-like topspin and consistency, making his backhand functionally a second forehand.
On clay, Alcaraz is simply in another league, one of the best in the world at the moment. Draper, meanwhile, has rapidly come of age on red clay; his run to the final at Madrid (his first clay-court tour-level semifinal) propelled him into the world Top 5 for the first time.
Their 2025 campaigns underscore the stakes. Alcaraz sits at 26–5 overall this season, including an almost flawless 12–1 mark on clay, highlighted by titles in Monte-Carlo and a finals appearance in Barcelona.
Draper has matched that momentum with a breakthrough Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and backed it up with another deep run in Madrid, establishing himself as the Tour’s second-most in-form player.
This quarter-final promises high-octane baseline exchanges, creative shotmaking, and tactical serving duels. While Alcaraz’s clay pedigree makes him the narrow favorite, Draper’s power and lefty angles pose a real threat.
Draper v Alcaraz Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/5
Lorenzo Musetti v Alexander Zverev
Lorenzo Musetti holds a narrow edge in this rivalry, leading 2–1 against Alexander Zverev. Zverev claimed their first encounter at the 2022 Madrid Masters 6-3, 6-1, but Musetti struck back with victories at the 2024 Paris Olympic quarter-finals and again at the Vienna Open later that year.
Musetti epitomizes the classical clay-court artist. His one-handed backhand can slice low or rip high-kick winners, and his heavy topspin forehand, combined with well-disguised drop-shots, excels on high-bounce surfaces like Rome’s altitude clay.
His movement is light and fluid, allowing him to construct points with variety rather than pure power.
Zverev, in contrast, is a modern power baseliner who uses deep, flat groundstrokes to dictate play, alongside a potent serve. While his game translates well to hard courts, his heavy, flat ball still penetrates on clay, and his ability to slide aggressively underpins his consistency .
On red dirt, Musetti boasts a 78-45 career record and has compiled a sparkling 13-2 mark in 2025, reaching the Monte-Carlo final and Madrid semi-finals before dispatching Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to book his Rome quarter-final spot.
Zverev’s clay résumé is equally impressive: with multiple titles on clay, having won in Rome last year and Munich earlier this year, and a 13-4 slate this spring highlighted by three successive straight-set wins here—including a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Arthur Fils in the fourth round.
This season, Musetti is 19-6 overall, his only two defeats on clay coming in finals in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Zverev sits at 24-8, defending his No. 2 ranking with deep runs at Masters 1000 events and a runner-up finish in Madrid. Their form lines converge, setting up a clash of Musetti’s artistry versus Zverev’s firepower.
Tactically, Musetti must extend rallies, drawing Zverev forward with drop-shots before unleashing heavy forehands into open court.
Zverev, in turn, will look to maintain depth, use his slice backhand to neutralize Musetti’s spin, and attack second serves to seize control. Patience and court positioning will be decisive in this high-altitude duel.
Musetti v Zverev Tip: Musetti to win in three sets: 7/2
