“Andy’s participation is always very important for the Italian audience,” noted Tournament Director Sergio Palmieri when AR.com got in touch with him. “The sportiness, the power, the fair play…” are Andy’s most impressive aspects that Palmieri and the Roman tennis fans come to see year after year. Andy will step onto this Italian clay for his seventh consecutive year, seeded sixth this year, at the Rome Masters Event, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, having arrived a few days early to fully recover from jetlag and warm up his rocket game.

Hitting the clay for the first time this year, Andy has high hopes in this ancient city rich in history, culture, and now tennis to go the distance. The Rome Masters Event is entering its 78th year running, boasting 8 clay courts on the Foro Italico grounds. With ATP and WTA competing here, starting one week apart but still overlapping, Rome will be totally tennis for about twenty days, awarding about 3.6 million Euros throughout.

“His fame and his unchanged value probably even increased esteem and popularity,” Palmieri noted on Andy’s continuous fight to win in the Eternal City. Last year, Andy fell in the third round to Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in straight sets. Andy’s success will turn around in his lucky number seven year here, hoping to top his 2002 semifinal appearance.

Facing the winner of the Llodra/Fish match in the second round, Andy could then go on to play Tsonga or Davydenko, and then Nadal or Blake in the semifinals. Between all of this heated action on court, Rome is known for a few famous things to experience while waiting for our American Firepower to blaze his opponents.
-Gelato, like ice cream but sweeter!
-Buffalo Mozzarella, one of Andy’s favorites
-Walking the great city to see the Coliseum, Pantheon, Vatican, and the still-standing church built in 173AD that left Andy awe-struck

With play beginning Monday, May 5th, and continuing through Sunday, May 18th, Andy will be kicking up the dirt and sliding across the clay during play, and AR.com will keep you posted on all of Andy’s on-court action. Stay tuned for a tournament and match preview, and everything from Roma! Go Andy!