🎾 ATP Rome: Yoshihito Nishioka vs Dusan Lajovic

🎾 ATP Rome: Yoshihito Nishioka vs Dusan Lajovic – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🇯🇵 Yoshihito Nishioka

• Injury setbacks: Promising 2025 start was halted by injury—he withdrew from Delray Beach and retired mid-match in Miami.
• Long layoff: Has not played a match since March, and missed a planned return in Madrid before entering Rome.
• Limited clay record: Hasn't competed on clay since June 2024 (Prostejov Challenger loss to Jerome Kym), and holds a 2–5 main-draw record in Rome.
• Least favorite surface: Clay yields his lowest win percentage among all surfaces.

🇷🇸 Dusan Lajovic

• Clay-court stalwart: 12 wins on clay in 2025 already, including tight qualifying wins here in Rome over Ethan Quinn and Cameron Norrie.
• Grind mode: Qualified in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and now Rome—but fell in R1 at the first two. Third time the charm?
• Match sharpness: Arrives match-fit and clay-season battle-tested.
• Rome-ready: Brings the patience, topspin, and consistency required for Foro Italico success.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Nishioka is an excellent tactician and defender, but his strengths—movement, rhythm, and redirection—require precision and physical sharpness. After a two-month break and no clay matches in nearly a year, this is a tough ask.

Lajovic, by contrast, is in full swing. His three-set qualifying wins, especially over Norrie, showed not only fitness but also mental strength. He can extend points, mix spins, and will likely wear down a rusty Nishioka—especially in drawn-out rallies that require match conditioning.

Unless Nishioka finds a way to shorten points or Lajovic falters mentally, the Serb should have control of the tempo from start to finish.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Dusan Lajovic in straight sets. Expect his clay-court consistency and physical preparedness to be too much for an out-of-practice Nishioka.