Former champion Elena Rybakina gets her WTA Rome campaign underway on Friday in a second-round match against Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Who will reach the next round at the Foro Italico?
WTA Rome Day 4 Predictions
Diana Shnaider vs Talia Gibson
Head-to-head: Shnaider 1-0 Gibson
It’s time to see what Talia Gibson is made of on this surface. Before this year, she had played just seven clay-court matches at the pro level. The 21-year-old had an incredible Sunshine Swing in March, and her ranking skyrocketed. Although she endured a four-match winless spell shortly after that, the Australian ended her barren run in Rome. She beat Martina Trevisan in three sets to register a win on debut. But this will be a step up. Shnaider brings far more weight of shot and her lefty patterns can be difficult to contain when she gets into rhythm.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Liudmila Samsonova vs Ann Li
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-1 Li
Samsonova has reached the third round in Rome only once in her career. And the poor record might continue this week. The Russian withdrew from her match against Noskova in Madrid due to an unspecified injury. Samsonova remains the bigger hitter, but she’s fared poorly this season with just two wins from her last nine matches. By contrast, Li is 5-3 on clay this term and notched a comeback win in her opening match this week. I’ll take consistency over reputation and ranking.
Prediction: Li in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Laura Siegemund
Head-to-head: Alexandrova 3-1 Siegemund
When these two last met at the 2025 US Open, Alexandrova was clinical as she ran out a 6-0 6-1 winner. But this has been a very difficult matchup for the Russian in the past. Although they have played four times against each other, this will be their first meeting on clay and that adds to the intrigue. And Siegemund has the craft and the shots to turn this into a real tactical grind.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Maria Sakkari
Head-to-head: Rybakina 5-1 Sakkari
Rybakina will hunt down a second title in Rome. She’s also bidding to win her second title this swing after success in Stuttgart. But last week’s defeat to Potapova in Madrid might intensify Sakkari’s belief. With the French Open just a few weeks away, top players could be vulnerable, especially if they set their sights elsewhere. But this is a horrible matchup for Sakkari, who has lost five of six matches against Rybakina. And if Rybakina is anywhere near her usual level on serve, she’ll have enough to win this match.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
