Two weeks after facing off in the Madrid quarterfinals, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva could meet at the same stage of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Rome: Draws | Scores | Order of play | Tournament info
Gauff, 21, and Andreeva, 18, are the two youngest players in the Top 10. They have both been drawn into the second quarter of the Rome draw, and as the No. 4 and No. 7 seeds respectively are projected to meet in the last eight. Last week, Gauff saved two set points en route to a 7-5, 6-1 victory, her third in three meetings with Andreeva.
Elsewhere, Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka faces a tough path as she bids to keep her clay streak going. The No. 1 seed will open against either Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova, and her section includes Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez and Daria Kasatkina ahead of a potential quarterfinal against either No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen or No. 11 seed Elena Rybakina.
No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek will be aiming to get her season back on track following a Stuttgart loss to Jelena Ostapenko — her sixth in six meetings with the Latvian — and a heavy 6-1, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Gauff in Madrid. Three-time champion Swiatek has thrived in Rome historically, and will hope to rediscover that magic as she opens her title defense against either Elina Avanesyan or local favorite Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
The 32 seeds all have byes into the second round, and will not play until Thursday. There are plenty of big names in first-round action ahead of that, though. Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, fresh off her first clay-court title at the Saint-Malo WTA 125, will start against beloved Italian veteran Sara Errani. Petra Kvitova will bid for the first win of her comeback from maternity leave against Irina-Camelia Begu, with the winner to face No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur. And Filipina sensation Alexandra Eala, 19, will open against Madrid quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk.
More to come…
AloJapan.com