Clay season is barreling toward the finish, and for many players the last step before Roland Garros is Rome. The tournament favorites won’t be playing their opening matches until later in the week, but until then there are plenty of exciting first-round matches to focus on. Here are five to keep an eye on:
Top Five Round 1 Matches at WTA Rome
5. Caty McNally vs Daria Kasatkina
In a match almost certain to be long and full of lengthy rallies, Caty McNally and Daria Kasatkina will face off for a spot in the second round. Both players are coming off a solid showing last week, with McNally notching an upset win over Victoria Mboko in Madrid and Kasatkina winning a WTA 125 after a disappointing first-round Madrid loss.
Kasatkina has always been comfortable on clay and she showed it last week, rounding back into form after a poor start to the season. McNally has the slight edge by ranking, but she’ll have to bring the same level she did in Madrid to take out Kasatkina. The winner of this match will face the challenge of fourth seed and three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek in the second round.
4. Katie Boulter vs Eva Lys
Eva Lys’ road back from injury hasn’t been easy, but she’s shown flashes of her best level; especially in her monumental comeback win over Paula Badosa in Stuttgart. Another player struggling to find her form is Katie Boulter, who is far from her top-30 career high. But Boulter has found some success on clay, including a quarterfinal showing in Rouen and a win over Taylor Townsend in the first round of Madrid—a player who went on to take the doubles title with Siniakova.
By ranking and by recent form, Boulter is the favorite, but Lys is certainly up for the challenge if she is healthy. Whoever comes out on top is set to play their second round against 15th seed Naomi Osaka.
3. Yulia Putintseva vs Tereza Valentova
This match brings on a case of deja vu, as Yulia Putintseva and Tereza Valentova just played each other in the first round of Madrid. That match turned out to be a three-hour epic, with Putintseva coming out on top in a chaotic third set. Putintseva lost to eventual champion Marta Kostyuk in the next round, while Valentova made the final of a WTA 125.
Despite losing that Madrid match, Valentova enters Rome hotter than Putintseva and could flip the match in her favor this time, especially if she can take advantage of the slower Rome courts. The winner will take on third seed Coco Gauff in the second round.
2. Katerina Siniakova vs Lois Boisson
Lois Boisson made her return to the Tour last week in Madrid and lost in straight sets to Peyton Stearns, but as Boisson showed last year she can find her best level at the most unexpected moments. And she’ll need it if she is to defeat Katerina Siniakova, who has won three WTA 1000 doubles titles in a row.
Siniakova has been solid in singles play as well, but she’s always more vulnerable in that discipline and Boisson will be determined to pick up some points before her Roland Garros semifinal points drop off her ranking. This is a match where both players are capable of top-level tennis, but don’t always show it, making this a case of who is better on the day. And whoever that is will go up against 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya in their second-round match.
1. Sofia Kenin vs Bianca Andreescu
Grand Slam champions typically don’t face off in the first round of tournaments, but this is an exception. Sofia Kenin and Bianca Andreescu aren’t quite at the level that got them Grand Slam titles, but both are still capable of excellent tennis and need a win here. Both have been wanting for deep runs this year, with Andreescu only finding success at the 125 level, and a win over a Grand Slam champion in the first round of a WTA 1000 could be a launching pad.
The two played earlier this year in Charleston, with Kenin winning in straight sets, but the different court conditions in Rome could affect the matchup. The winner of this match will face 12th seed Belinda Bencic in the second round.
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – USA TODAY Sports
