Rome qualifying is underway and we've got three picks from the first round to break down. No massive names, but these matches matter for players trying to crack the main draw at one of the biggest clay events of the year.
WTA Italian Open Predictions
Julia Grabher vs Nuria Brancaccio
Head-to-head: Grabher 2-1 Brancaccio
Grabher leads the series and is ranked higher, but this is the kind of clay qualifying match where ranking points don't tell the full story. Brancaccio is Italian, she knows this surface intimately, and Rome in particular tends to bring something extra out of the home players in the qualifying rounds. The crowd noise alone is worth a few points.
Grabher has had her moments on clay but she's not someone who dominates on the surface, and a three-setter here feels very likely. I think Brancaccio's comfort on this specific court gives her enough to come through.
Prediction: Brancaccio in 3
Xiyu Wang vs Xinyu Gao
Head-to-head: First meeting
Wang comes in ranked nearly 120 spots above Gao, and that kind of gap in qualifying is usually decisive. She's been a consistent presence around the top 100 for a while now and has the clay experience to handle a slower Roman surface without too much trouble. That said, Gao will make it competitive at times, but Wang should have enough quality to close it out, even if it takes three sets.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Ekaterine Gorgodze vs Darja Semenistaja
Head-to-head: First meeting
Semenistaja is ranked inside the top 110 and Gorgodze is well outside the top 200, and the gap in level here is pretty clear. Semenistaja has been building steadily on tour and this is exactly the kind of match she needs to take care of efficiently and move on. Hard to see Gorgodze causing many problems at all. Semenistaja wins this comfortably, all things considered.
Prediction: Semenistaja in 2
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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