Three picks from the Rome qualifying draw today, and honestly a pretty interesting set of matches with some familiar names trying to work their way into the main draw. Who do you think makes it through?
WTA Italian Open Predictions
Anastasia Potapova vs Nikola Bartunkova
Head-to-head: Potapova 1-0 Bartunkova
Potapova is ranked nearly 40 spots higher and has already beaten Bartunkova before, so she's the clear favorite here. The thing that makes this slightly interesting is that Potapova hasn't been in the best form recently and qualifying matches on slow clay can be unpredictable, especially against a younger player with nothing to lose.
That said, Bartunkova hasn't done much to suggest she can push a top-60 player on this surface, and Potapova's flat ball-striking tends to cut through slow clay better than you'd expect from her style. I think this goes three sets, but Potapova gets through.
Prediction: Potapova in 3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Veronika Erjavec
Head-to-head: First meeting
On paper Pavlyuchenkova's ranking looks lower, but she's a former Roland Garros finalist and clay has always been her best surface, so this feels like a tricky one to call. The issue is she's been outside the top 100 for a while now and at 33 there are real questions about her consistency week to week. Erjavec is younger, ranked just above her and has been playing enough matches to have some rhythm.
Hard to see this being competitive at all. Erjavec takes this one in a tight three sets.
Prediction: Erjavec in 3
Taylor Townsend vs Rebecca Sramkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Townsend is an interesting case on clay. Her game is built around variety and net presence, and slow clay usually punishes that, but she's athletic enough and experienced enough to make things awkward for most players at this level. Sramkova is ranked lower and hasn't shown much to suggest she handles Townsend's unconventional game, which relies heavily on disrupting rhythm, well.
I feel like this goes the distance, but Townsend's ability to mix up pace and angles on clay should be enough to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Townsend in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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