Italian Open 2022, Day 5: Men's singles odds, picks and predictions ft. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Day 5 of the Italian Open will feature last year's finalists Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as they look to book their respective spots in the quarterfinals.

The Spaniard will take on Denis Shapovalov while the World No. 1 will be up against Stan Wawrinka. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev will face Alex de Minaur while Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on Karen Khachanov. The likes of Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner will also be in action on Thursday.

With some exciting tennis action awaiting us in the last 16, let’s take a look at the odds and predictions for the major fixtures on Day 5 of the Italian Open.

Novak Djokovic (-1600) vs Stan Wawrinka (+800) Prediction

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on a familiar opponent in Stan Wawrinka in the last 16 of the Italian Open. This will be the 26th meeting between the two and the first since the 2019 US Open.

Djokovic had little trouble beating Aslan Karatsev in the previous round, while Wawrinka had to dig deep to defeat Laslo Djere in a match that lasted two hours and 48 minutes.

Given the Serb's current form, he should be able to get the better of the Swiss and reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.

Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets (-410) via Oddschecker.

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Rafael Nadal (-900) vs Denis Shapovalov (+550) Prediction

Rafael Nadal will once again face Denis Shapvalov in the last 16 of the Italian Open

Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov will lock horns in Rome a year after their scintillating match in the Italian capital at the very same stage. The Spaniard had to save two match points in the decider to beat the youngster last year.

Rafael Nadal started this year's Italian Open with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over John Isner. Shapovalov, meanwhile, beat Lorenzo Sonego and Nikoloz Basilashvili to get to the third round.

This will be the sixth meeting between the two players with the King of Clay leading 4-1 in their head-to-head.

While the duo played a tough five-setter at this year's Australian Open, Nadal should be able to beat the Canadian by a more comprehensive scoreline in Rome.

Pick: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets (-290) via Oddschecker.

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Alexander Zverev (-425) vs Alex de Minaur (+290) Prediction

Former Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev will on Alex de Minaur for a place in the quarterfinals. The German looks to be in good form, having reached the final of the Madrid Open last week.

Zverev beat Sebastian Baez 7-6(3), 6-3 to advance to the last 16 while De Minaur reached the third round with straight-sets wins over Dusan Lajovic and Tommy Paul.

This will be the seventh meeting between the two, with Zverev leading their head-to-head 5-1. De Minaur can give the 25-year-old a tough fight but the German will likely overpower his opponent with his heavy groundstrokes and massive first serve.

Pick: Alexander Zverev to win in three sets (+300) via Oddschecker.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (-450) vs Karen Khachanov (+310) Prediction

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Karen Khachanov for the fifth time. Tsitsipas saved match points against Grigor Dimitrov in the previous round, eventually prevailing after two hours and 39 minutes. Khachanov beat 15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

Khachanov has a solid game, but against a crafty player like Tsitsipas, he will have to raise his level significantly to stand a chance. The World No. 5 is a much better claycourt player than the Russian and should be able to improve his record against him.

Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in straight sets (-155) via Oddschecker.