With several intruging first-round matches on the slate on day one at the WTA Rome event, it should be an entertaining day. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on day one, but who will book their spot in the second round in the Italian capital?
WTA Rome Day 1 Predictions
Alycia Parks vs Jaqueline Cristian
Head-to-head: Parks 1-0 Cristian
Alycia Parks is nowhere near to being a natural clay-courter, but she picked up a win in Madrid over Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva. That was largely due to the altitude conditions helping out her serve and continuing in that vein in Rome will be a lot more difficult. In her previous two appearances in Rome, the American took just two games each against Anett Kontaveit and Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Surely Jaqueline Cristian is competent enough to draw out the errors from Parks and even bite back.
Prediction: Cristian in 2
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Suzan Lamens vs Renata Zarazua
Head-to-head: first meeting
They both had breakthrough seasons in 2024 and it’s tough to say who’s doing better now. On the main tour it’s probably Suzan Lamens with the recent Rouen semifinal, but Renata Zarazua reached the final of a stacked ITF event in Madrid. The courts in Rome aren’t playing like either of these two venues (indoor clay in Rouen, altitude in Madrid) and it’s tough to say who the favourite is as a result. But Lamens has a bit more to her game and isn’t the sort of big-hitter that will break down due to Zarazua’s solid baselining.
Prediction: Lamens in 3
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Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Head-to-head: Kvitova 6-1 Begu
Years ago this could have been an amazing clay-court encounter and while Irina-Camelia Begu is a true specialist of the surface, it was Petra Kvitova who dominated their two meetings on the dirt in 2015. They’re both from the same birth year, but the Czech skipped the entire 2024 season and is yet to win in 2025 with a 0-4 record. These conditions also don’t suit her as much as Madrid, where she was a three-time champion. Begu’s in better rhythm and Kvitova might have to wait for her premier win of the season.
Prediction: Begu in 3
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
