On Tuesday, the Round of 32 continues at the 30° Palermo Open with some very intriguing matches. After the tournament spent a couple of years in Kuala Lumpur, tennis is back in Palermo at the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo, where a rich tennis history looks to continue.
World #5 Kiki Bertens is back in action this week. She has had great success on the European clay and hopes to right the ship after a disappointing Wimbledon. Sara Errani, the 2012 Palermo Champion is also in the draw with a wild card. She will take on recent WTA Luassane champion Fiona Ferro in what looks to be a thrilling first-round encounter. WTA Lausanne finalist Alize Cornet will also be in action against Martina Trevisan, who she played last week.
Here is a look at the Day 2 of the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo along with predictions for who will move on to the Round of 16.
Palermo Open Day 2 Predictions
Kiki Bertens vs Ekaterine Gorgodze
Head to head: No history
When Kiki Bertens is playing well, she can beat anyone. While she did not have a disastrous grass season, it left something to be desired. She had a great clay season with a title at the Mutua Madrid Open over Simona Halep and will look for success on her favorite surface. Ekaterine Gorgodze is a quality professional but is only 4-7 on clay this year. Kiki Bertens is a top-notch player on this surface and expects a deep run in Palermo.
Prediction: Bertens in 2
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Fiona Ferro
Head to head: 1-0 Fiona Ferro
These two played an excellent match earlier this year in Hobart. With a scoreline of 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 in favor of Ferro, expect another tight match. Both players also know their way around a clay court, don’t be shocked if there is another three-set clash. Fiona Ferro just won a three-set final against Alize Cornet and is in great form.
Prediction: Ferro in 3
Sara Errani vs Martina di Giuseppe
Head to head: No history
With no previous encounters and questions about Sara Errani’s form, this match is hard to pick. Sara Errani is a former champion in Palermo and was a finalist the last time this tournament was played in 2013. A long time has passed since her days of clay-court dominance. With that said, this is her best surface and she is a former grand slam finalist who has a good tactical understanding of tennis. Martina di Giuseppe actually has a better record on clay this year and recently made it to the semifinal in Bucharest. Look for this match to go the distance.
Prediction: Errani in 3
Alize Cornet vs Martina Trevisan
Head to head: Cornet 1-0
These two players recently clashed for the first time in Laussane. They played a competitive match that ended up in favor of Alize Cornet, 6-4 6-4. Cornet just lost a tough final to Fiona Ferro; does this mean she is primed to continue her recent clay success or will she be tired going into this match?
Prediction: Cornet in 3
