Mirra Andreeva failed to win a match in her maiden WTA Rome appearance last year. The 18-year-old has a chance to get a first victory in the Italian capital on Day 4 against Emiliana Arango. Emma Navarro and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka’s matches are also predicted in this article. As always, we here at LWOT predict all the action, including Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova, among others.
WTA Rome Day 4 Predictions
Katie Volynets vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: Volynets 1-1 Tauson
After a superb start to the season that included winning a maiden title at the ASB Classic and finishing as the runner-up to Andreeva at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Tauson lost her first two matches of the clay-court swing. The Dane will be tested by Volynets, a gritty competitor who usually produces her best tennis on clay. Although Tauson’s best tennis on the dirt is still superior to Volynets’s, the American is narrowly favored to win by drawing enough mistakes from Tauson with her impressive defense in the slow Rome conditions.
Prediction: Volynets in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-head: Azarenka 1-0 Frech
Azarenka played very well to easily overcome clay-court specialist Camilla Osorio in the opening round. It was the former world No. 1’s second match back after being out for a few weeks with an injury sustained at the Miami Open. Her match with Frech could come down to fine margins. Both are baseliners who prefer playing on hard courts, but can also perform well on clay. Azarenka’s performance against Osorio might give her the confidence she needs to overcome this challenge.
Prediction: Azarenka in 3
Emma Navarro vs Kamilla Rakhimova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rakhimova took advantage of entering the main draw as a lucky loser by comfortably beating Xinyu Wang. Although a great win, Wang struggles a lot on clay. Navarro has not found her best tennis in the last few months, but the 23-year-old rarely loses her opening match at tournaments. 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu’s thrilling win against her at the Miami Open in March was a rare exception. The 10th seed in Rome is better than Rakhimova in all departments and should be able to win without being perfect.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Emiliana Arango
Head-to-head: Andreeva 1-0 Arango
This match will almost certainly be a case of attack vs. defense. Arango bases her game on putting balls into the court and extending the rallies, especially on a slow clay court like the one in Rome. Andreeva has become frustrated against that style in the past, an example being her loss to Volynets at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open. However, her game and mentality have developed since then, and she is unlikely to face any issues against Arango.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
