The WTA Rome tournament moves into the second round on Thursday. The first round whittled down the field from 96 to 64. Now we begin to see the seeded players take the court after getting a first-round bye. When this situation exists, the main question facing tennis bettors is whether the first-round winners will benefit from rhythm and momentum, or if the players getting byes will benefit from added rest and recovery. First-round players got to play on the Rome courts, feeling the conditions, while players with byes might be a little tentative. Will those small advantages outweigh the fact that seeded players are higher ranked? It’s going to be a fascinating second round in Rome. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Rome
Tauson – Oliynykova: Time 6:30 EST
H2H: 0-0
Clara Tauson has been bothered by a mixture of back and shoulder injuries in recent months. She has not played a match since Miami in mid-March. She had hoped to play in Madrid but withdrew before her first match in the tournament. She has had two weeks since then to get fit for this match. Everyone is waiting to see if she will be able to play at a reasonable level. She is a top-20 player, so she is obviously talented, but health has gotten in the way of her 2026 campaign. Oleksandra Oliynykova is coming off a first-round win in Rome versus Petra Marcinko. We will see if Oliynykova can play well against a much higher-ranked opponent.
Best Bet to Make
The first thing to say here is that with Tauson’s uncertain physical condition, you should not make an especially large wager on this match. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. If you are going to bet on this match, Tauson is offering a good moneyline price precisely because of the injury uncertainties she is dealing with. If Tauson can play at 75 to 80 percent of her best, she is still a better player than Oliynykova, who was able to beat Marcinko but is likely to struggle against an opponent who will make her work harder.
That being said, betting on Tauson winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Tauson winning @1.73 @WilliamHill
Paolini – Jeanjean: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 1-0
Jasmine Paolini returns home to Rome. The Italian won the 2025 Italian Open championship, beating Coco Gauff in the final. Defending a championship is always an important moment for a professional tennis player, but for Paolini, this is extra special, defending a title in her home nation of Italy. She begins her campaign against Leolia Jeanjean, who has won three straight matches in Rome, two in qualifying and one in the first round.
Best Bet to Make
Paolini is the far better player. She is playing at home in front of a supportive home crowd. Interestingly, Paolini’s last eight matches have alternated between a win and a loss. Her last match was a loss, so just based on that pattern, she should win here. Also notable is that Jeanjean won two qualifying matches and a first-round match in Madrid but then lost to a seeded player (Gauff) in the second round in Spain. She has won two qualifying matches and a first-round match in Rome, and now faces a seeded player. If that pattern repeats, Jeanjean will lose. Straight sets is the easiest way to bet this match.
That being said, betting on Paolini winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Paolini winning 2:0 @1.65 @1xBet
Siniakova – Kalinskaya: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 1-2
Katerina Siniakova scored a decisive victory in the first round of Rome, beating Lois Boisson in straight sets. It was a very efficient performance for Siniakova, who will hope to carry that level of form into the second round against No. 22 seed Anna Kalinskaya, who made the second round of Madrid and – back in March – the third round of Indian Wells. The markets have Siniakova, the lower-ranked (unseeded) player, as the betting favorite.
Best Bet to Make
It’s not hard to see why Siniakova is the market favorite even though she is the lower-ranked player. Siniakova made the fourth round of Indian Wells, whereas Kalinskaya made only the third round. Siniakova made the third round of Madrid, while Kalinskaya only made the second round. Siniakova just played a solid, clean first-round match in Rome and has rhythm, while Kalinskaya got a first-round bye and might be a little sluggish to start this match. It’s not obvious that Siniakova is the better player overall, but it’s obvious that Siniakova has been in slightly better form of late, so that’s a decent reason to take Siniakova on the moneyline.
That being said, betting on Siniakova winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Siniakova winning @1.75 @Interwetten
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
