With the French Open just around the corner, the WTA Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Rabat continues to serve as an important final audition on clay. Day 3 offers a series of competitive matchups that could tell us a lot about who is ready to peak at the right time.
WTA Rabat Day 3 Predictions
Fiona Ferro vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-Head: Ferro 1-0 Bouzas Maneiro
Ferro carries solid clay record into Rabat, having reached the finals in both Manama and Oeiras on clay this season. The Frenchwoman’s confidence on the dirt is real, and the only previous meeting between these two–on clay in Roland Garros qualifying in 2023–went her way.
Bouzas Maneiro enters as the higher-ranked player and has won a strong majority of her matches over the past year, but her clay results in 2026 have been more mixed compared to prior seasons. Ferro’s aggressive ball-striking and solid second-serve performance this season give her a genuine edge here, and the head-to-head adds further weight to that case.
Prediction: Ferro in 3
Petra Marcinko vs Yelyzaveta Kotliar
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Marcinko has gone 7-5 on clay in 2026. Her best result this year was reaching the semifinal in Oeiras, and she comes in having won six of her last ten matches.
Kotliar is participating as a wild card, and while she has posted a solid 24-12 overall record in 2026 with 20 of those wins coming on clay, most of that activity has been at the ITF level. The jump to WTA 250 competition is a different ask. Marcinko’s proven ability at this level on clay should see her through.
Prediction: Marcinko in 2
Janice Tjen vs Camila Osorio
Head-to-Head: Osorio 1-0 Tjen
Osorio already beat Tjen 6-4 6-3 in Merida earlier this season on hard. On clay, the gap could be wider. Osorio has built an extensive clay record over her career and reached the semifinals in Rabat last year, giving her genuine familiarity with these conditions.
Tjen, meanwhile, registered only her second win on clay in the first round, going 2-3 on the surface in 2026, and clay continues to look like her least comfortable surface. Osorio’s movement and heavy topspin play suit the slow Rabat courts well, and she heads into this match with form and surface pedigree both pointing in her direction.
Prediction: Osorio in 2
Yuliia Starodubtseva vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Anhelina Kalinina has been outstanding on clay in 2026. Her grinding baseline style and strong movement thrive on slower surfaces, supported by eight wins in her last ten matches.
Yuliia Starodubtseva is a capable opponent whose aggressive ball-striking can disrupt rhythm when she seizes control. Her run to the Charleston final demonstrates she can compete at this level. However, Kalinina’s consistency, volume of experience at this level, and surface-specific form make her the clear favorite.
Prediction: Kalinina in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
