A great week of tennis in Rome continues on Wednesday, with several big names on the women’s tour in action. Several clay court powerhouses still remain, with the likes of Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek among the favourites to win the title this week. Can a new face put a stop to the old guard? Will Swiatek make it five for five? All those questions shall be answered as the week unfolds. For now though, we turn our attention to Wednesday’s action in this set of WTA Rome day 3 predictions.
WTA Rome Day 3 Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: 1 – 1
Both Belinda Bencic and Amanda Anisimova have used good starts to the clay court swing to get right ship after rocky periods in the last 12-24 months. Bencic is a former top ten player and WTA Finals contestant who likely would have become a serious contender for Grand Slams on the tour if not for the COVID 19 pandemic and injuries in recent months. Anisimova too suffered off-court issues that derailed her rapid rise in the women’s game. However, they are both playing very good tennis at the moment and this should be a great match to watch. Bencic holds the slight edge here as her game is more consistent and her backhand is a serious weapon. Anisimova has a very high ceiling if she is firing on all cylinders, but that doesn’t happen often enough for me to pick her against an opponent of the Swiss’ quality.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Karolina Pliskova vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Teichmann
Karolina Pliskova used a strong finish to 2021 to quiet concerns she was past her prime and no longer an elite player on the women’s tour. However, concerns about her movement remain and she looks worryingly vulnerable in matches where she doesn’t get regular balls in her strike zone. Her immense serve is often enough for her to get around that issue, but that may not be enough here. Teichmann enjoyed a career year last year as far as big tournaments go. She also seems to have found that form again in recent weeks. She dismissed Jasmine Paolini with ease in her last match and if she maintains that level she will likely run Pliskova off the court here. If the Czech serves well it goes the distance, but I think Teichmann wins either way,
Prediction: Teichmann in 2
Garbine Muguruza vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: 2 – 1 Muguruza
This is an interesting and difficult match to call. Garbine Muguruza is clearly the better player of the two. She is fresh of a WTA Finals victory at the end of 2021 and seems to have found the consistency that saw her win two Grand Slams earlier in her career. However, she hasn’t played much tennis this year and has dealt with several niggles. When that is the case, there is perhaps no worse opponent to face on the WTA Tour than Yulia Putintseva. The diminutive Kazakh is a dogged fighter and relentless competitor who isn’t afraid to get in your face when she’s on top and playing well. She is in good form as well, making this an even trickier task for the Spaniard.
If Muguruza finds her feet on the return early enough in this match she should be okay as the Putintseva serve is a weakness. However, if she isn’t able to make inroads there she may find herself in several long rallies. That doesn’t leave me feeling confident about her chances here given the lack of tennis this year.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Simona Halep vs Danielle Collins
Head-to-head: 1 – 1
What a treat of a match this is. The headline event of this set of WTA Rome day 3 predictions sees reigning champion Simona Halep take on the red-hot Danielle Collins in a must-see encounter. Halep has missed much of the year so far with an Achilles issue. However, she looks close to her best again now. Her partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou appears to be paying dividends early on and she looks a real threat here. She’s also a favourite to win the French Open, but that is for another time. Here she faces a tough test in Collins.
The American has played the best tennis of her life over the last twelve months. She won two big titles towards the back of 2021 and made a finals appearance at the Australian Open in January. She hasn’t played much since then though, and clay isn’t her best surface. Nevertheless, you count Collins out at your own peril and you can be sure she will put up a fight here. Ultimately though, I think Halep looks to good and is the superior clay court player. She should win here.
Prediction: Halep in 3
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