The draw has been made for Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in 2012.
Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic has a first-round BYE. He will open his campaign against world no.32 Bernard Tomic. The Australian defeated Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The 24-year-old Serbian star has won their only previous meeting, the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Novak’s potential opponents in the later stages of the tournament are:
3rd round: Juan Monaco (ARG, 14), Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Quarter-finals: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA, 6), Juan Martin del Potro (ARG, 10)
Semi-finals: Roger Federer (SUI, 3), Janko Tipsarevic (SRB,8)
Finals: Rafael Nadal (ESP, 2), Andy Murray (GBR, 4), David Ferrer (ESP, 5), Tomas Berdych (CZE, 7)
Novak conquered Rome in 2008 and 2011. Last year he beat Lukasz Kubot, Stanislas Wawrinka, Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, respectively.
The last of three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events contested on clay will be played in the capital of Italy for the prize money of € 2,427,975.
The winner will get €460,260 and 1000 ATP points.
Photo: Reuters
