The third round of the WTA singles event at the 2023 Italian Open begins on Saturday in Rome. Can Caroline Garcia leave the tough match from two days ago behind her and produce a better performance? Who will win the all-Russian clash of Anastasia Potapova and Veronika Kudermetova, which is a repeat from Madrid? We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
WTA Rome Day 5 Predictions
Caroline Garcia vs Camila Osorio
Head-to-head: Garcia 1-0
Caroline Garcia beat Camila Osorio in Lyon earlier this year, but slow clay is the kingdom of the Colombian. It’s not that the World No. 4 can’t play on it, she’s just a bit less effective. She’s only ever had one big run in Rome and struggled a lot in her opening match against Ana Bogdan, having to fight back from 3-5 down in the decider. Garcia’s power can still overwhelm Osorio, but it could get tricky.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Anna Bondar vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: Zheng 1-0
The wait for Qinwen Zheng’s huge breakthrough event continues, but it’s not like the Chinese isn’t finding some really solid WTA Tour results. The potential for more is undeniable though and it should be just a matter of time. Anna Bondar is definitely a clay-court expert, but not having the crazy upside of Zheng makes this a tough one for her and leaves this more on the 20-year-old’s racket.
Prediction: Zheng in 2
Anastasia Potapova vs Veronika Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Kudermetova 2-1
They’ve just recently played in Madrid where Veronika Kudermetova was dominating the match, but then almost choked it and had to finish it off in a decider. The conditions in Rome could even this out a bit, especially as the 26-year-old just had a very good run last week, but isn’t exactly guaranteed to repeat that. Anastasia Potapova seems like the more exciting prospect long-term and might have a very early opportunity to exact revenge.
Prediction: Potapova in 3
Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 1-0
Marie Bouzkova beat Coco Gauff in Cincinnati last year, but that was via retirement. The American’s faulty forehand is usually at its best on clay with plenty of time to set it up. It’s not like Bouzkova has the raw pace to put that much pressure on that wing either. Gauff most often doesn’t really threaten to win titles, but she is consistent and simply wins the matches she should be winning (particularly on the dirt).
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
