Three huge quarter-final picks from the WTA Italian Open in Rome today, and honestly this might be the best day of tennis we get all year. Swiatek, Rybakina, Gauff, Pegula, Svitolina, Andreeva all on the same day on clay. Who do you think comes through?
WTA Italian Open Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-head: Svitolina 3-4 Rybakina
Rybakina holds the H2H edge and her game is genuinely built for moments like this. The serve is essentially unreturnable on a good day, and on clay she doesn't slow down the way you'd expect a big hitter to. Svitolina is tough and never gives points away cheaply, but she's going to need Rybakina to be off her game to have a real shot here.
This one probably goes three sets because Svitolina will grind and make it uncomfortable, but Rybakina has too many ways to end points cleanly.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: Pegula 5-6 Swiatek
This H2H is a lot closer than people remember, and Pegula actually beat Swiatek in Doha earlier this year, so she's not coming in here as a sacrificial lamb. That said, Swiatek on Roman clay is normally a completely different beast, and she's won this title four times. The slow conditions suit her heavy topspin more than almost any other surface on tour.
Still, Pegula has been playing some of her best tennis lately and I think this goes the distance. Swiatek is the obvious pick on clay but Pegula pulls it off here, all things considered.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Cori Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva
Head-to-head: Gauff 4-0 Andreeva
Four from four for Gauff in this rivalry, and she's been the better player in pretty much every one of those meetings. But Andreeva has genuinely taken a step forward this season and she's become so good at not panicking in long rallies, which is exactly what you need on clay in Rome. To make things worse, Gauff hasn't looked quite right in recent weeks either.
The H2H says Gauff all day, and maybe it does go that way again. But Andreeva takes this one.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Dennis Agyeman/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire