With Roland Garros looming large on the horizon, the WTA Rome Open will be the last opportunity for many players to build up some steam ahead of the second Major of the season. The competition should be fierce as a result. On day two, there are 12 first-round matches on the slate and as always we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every scheduled match. In addition to this article, we also predict the rest of the day’s matches in two articles. One features Angelique Kerber vs Alize Cornet and the other features Garbine Muguruza vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. But who will reach the round of 32 in the Italian capital?
WTA Rome Open Day 2 Predictions
Laura Siegemund vs Nadia Podoroska
Head-to-head: first meeting
Nadia Podoroska made her name with a thrilling run to the semifinals at the French Open last season, having started her campaign in the qualifying. But the Argentine has struggled to back that up so far this season, having won just six matches in 2021. However, she has also not yet played on her favoured clay and will surely be hoping that a return to her best surface will bring about an improvement in her fortunes. However, she starts her WTA Rome Open against an experienced opponent in Laura Siegemund.
The German may not be the force she once was, but she is still capable of causing some real damage when she is on song. She demonstrated as much by reaching the second round in Madrid last week as a qualifier and came through the qualifying again this week. Still, this looks like being a good matchup for the Argentine. She moves well enough to counter Siegemund’s soft hands and should be able to overpower the German from the baseline. This may well go the distance, but expect Podoroska to have enough to reach the second round.
Prediction: Podoroska in 3
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Martina Trevisan vs Yaraslava Shvedova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Martine Trevisan also put a memorable run together in Paris last season, making the quarterfinals where she was beaten by Podoroska. But her struggles since have been even more pronounced than the Argentine’s. In fact, Trevisan has picked up just two wins so far this year. Fortunately for the Italian, she finds herself up against a player in similarly poor form in Yaraslava Shvedova. The Kazakh arrived at the WTA Rome Open having won just one match in 2021.
In truth, with both players so badly out of form, this does not look to have the makings of a classic encounter. But it may well be closely fought, with neither woman likely to be feeling particularly confident when they step out on to court. But Trevisan may have two decisive advantages. She is the more comfortable of the two on the clay and she will also be able to rely on the backing of the Italian crowd. Expect that to give her enough of an edge to advance.
Prediction: Trevisan in 3
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Zheng Saisai vs Barbora Krejcikova
Head-to-head: Krejcikova 1-0 Zheng
Barbora Krejcikova has enjoyed some memorable weeks this season, not least reaching the final in Dubai (lost to Garbine Muguruza), but she has not performed particularly consistently and arrives at the WTA Rome Open having won just two of her last five matches. However, Zheng Saisai has been in worse form. The Chinese has won only five of the 15 matches she has played so far this season, although she did edge out Magda Linette in the first round in Madrid last week.
But she lost in three sets when this pair met earlier in the season and is not as comfortable on the clay as the Czech, who last year reached the fourth round at Roland Garros. Krejcikova’s powerful forehand gives her a useful weapon to dictate with from the baseline whilst her good hands allow her to finish points off at the net. Provided she delivers a focused performance, she should have enough to account for Zheng here, and most likely without having to go the distance.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
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Johanna Konta vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: Konta 2-2 Ostapenko
This has the makings of an interesting match. Johanna Konta did not show much aptitude for clay-court tennis early on her career, but she has made impressive strides on the terre battue in recent years, reaching the final at this event and the last four at Roland Garros in 2019. However, she has been handed a potentially tough first-round draw up against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian may be inconsistent, but has been a top-five player for a reason.
The pair have split their four previous meetings evenly, with Ostapenko winning their only clay-court clash in Rome four years ago in three sets and this match may be similarly close. Neither player comes into this match in particularly impressive form with both having lost in straight-sets in the second round last week in Madrid. But Konta has a markedly better record in Rome than Ostapenko, who has lost in the first round on her last two visits to the Eternal City. That could prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Konta in 3
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