After the defeat of the defending champ Nadal and the world number one Federer I decided to go to this match with highest stakes possible. I know Djokovic's mentailty very well and I am very sure that he will give his very best in this moment to beat his today's Spanish opponent. It is true that Novak isn't fully adapted to clay surface yet, he's had some critical moments in both of his matches so far here in Rome but his form is rising quickly as the tournament progresses. Almagro is actually an average player except on clay where he plays much better, and he is actually one of the most successful claycourters this year. But, another thing that I've spotted in his matches here in Rome is that he can also be very vulnerable. Nalbandian had his chances, didn't use them. Even Cipolla had some chance in the second set and that's when Almagro's weaknesses were very visible.

Novak is a great player who now has a realistic chance to win this tournament and I think he will play according to everybody's expectations and fight off Almagro in straight sets. It will be a tough match, but I just don't see how the Spaniard can endanger Novak on the serve and in any other tennis aspect actually. So to conclude, I'm sure that Djokovic will find some opportunities in order to shorten the match as much as possible and save the energy for the semis. I expect him to win this affair fast because he is the better player after all, and tonight the better one will win.

BOL.

Pick : Djokovic 2:0
Odds : 2.44
Stake : 10 / 10
Bookmaker : Pinnacle
Date : 2008-05-09
Match Result : Almagro Retired
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