Djokovic a smart tip in three sets for Ferrer fixture at Rome Open

Top tennis pro Novak Djokovic has a winning habit in three sets at this year’s Italian Open. His ATP men’s singles semi-final opponent at this Masters event in Rome is seventh seed David Ferrer, who he trails 3-2 on previous head-to-heads on clay.

As Serbia star and world number one Djokovic (strong odds-on 1/8 match favourite and 2/5 to take the title) has won their last two meetings on that surface, however, he is well worth backing for victory in three sets at 3/1 with Coral.

If you fancy Ferrer (9/2 to reach the final), who thrashed Richard Gasquet and fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez before beating Belgium’s David Goffin in three sets to set up this semi, then he is something of a punt at 9/1 to win but the battle to go the distance.

There’s an all-Swiss affair in the second men’s semi as Stan Wawrinka stunned Rafael Nadal to set up an encounter with his compatriot Roger Federer (9/2 tournament chance). Although Grand Slam great Federer has a dominant 15-2 record against his fellow countryman, those two losses have come on clay.

Wawrinka is thus a 5/4 chance to upset the Swiss number one again, and superb at 7/2 to do so in three sets. Federer, despite his advancing years, remains an odds-on 4/7 match favourite and 6/4 dispense with his former Davis Cup partner in straight sets.

In the women’s draw, second seed Simona Halep, who is 11/8 second-favourite to reign in Rome, meets Carla Suarez Navarro, but she has never beaten this foe on clay.