Rafael Nadal to face Novak Djokovic's US Open conqueror Pablo Busta in Rome on comeback

The draw for the Men's Singles event has been announced after the completion of the qualifiers of Italian Open 2020. The Italian Open or Internazionali d'Italia is a Masters 1000 category event. The qualifiers for the tournament began on September 12 and the finals will be held on September 21, 2020. 

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Rome Masters draw announced

The Rome Masters serves as the precursor to the Roland Garros championship set to be held in Paris from September 21 onwards. Perhaps the most notable addition to the roster after an extended break is the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. After skipping the US Open this year, Nadal will come back to defend his crown at the ATP Tour in Rome. He will also look to improve his current record of nine titles at the Rome Masters.

As the World. No. 2, Nadal has been awarded a bye in the first round along with long-time rival and last year's runner-up, Novak Djokovic. In the absence of Federer and US Open winner and runner-up, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini, Gael Monflis, David Goffin, Fabio Fogini, Stephano Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman and US Open semi-finalist Pablo Carenno Busta have also been given byes. 

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Nadal v Pablo Carreno Busta

Even though Carreno Busta is unseeded at the Rome Masters, he will come into it with a heightened sense of achievement and great form. After Novak Djokovic's shock exit from the US Open, Carenno Busta was propelled to the quarter-finals where he fought a five-set thriller against Shapovalov to reach the semi-final. In the semi-final, Carenno Busta put up a fighting performance against eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev. Considering that, championship favourite Rafael Nadal, will have to prove his mettle early on. Playing his first tournament since March 1, Nadal may be rusty compared to the fired-up Carreno Busta. 

However, if we were to look at the numbers, this will be an easy enough match for the legend. Rafael Nadal has a 5-0 head to head lead against Carreno Busta. His experience on clay is also an undoubted advantage for the King of Clay. 

Apart from Rafael Nadal, some interesting players to watch will be Stan Wawrinka - who also skipped the US Open - Denis Shapovalov - who has just had a career-best showing at the US Open - and Kei Nishikori, who will be looking to make a comeback into majors at the Rome Masters. Another interesting player to watch will be Felix Auger Aliassime of Canada.

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Image credits: AP