By Tony Fairbairn
- Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Dayana Yastremska [32]
- Novak Djokovic [1] v Alejandro Tabilo [29]
- Danielle Collins [13] v Caroline Garcia [22]
ROME, ITALY – Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic continue to prepare for Roland Garros with third round tests in Rome.
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Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Dayana Yastremska [32] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Dayana Yastremska [32] | H2H: Yastremska leads 3-0 |
| Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €30,435 |
| Second on Center Court (11:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
After a poor recent run of form, Aryna Sabalenka produced a much-needed run of wins in Madrid where the world number two narrowly missed out on a second consecutive Madrid title. The Australian Open champion is hoping this form continues over the next couple of months as she will believe that a third Grand Slam title isn’t far off. Now Sabalenka is aiming to continue her serving consistency and brutal baseline power as she looks to be the nearest challenger to Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros dominance.
However a big test awaits Sabalenka in the third round as she takes on Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska. The 23 year-old had a brilliant start to the season by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals but since then has failed to win back-to-back matches. Despite this the Ukrainian’s big-hitting and returning efficiency has been too strong for Sabalenka in the past and the world number 33 will be hoping the same will happen in Rome as she looks to get back to winning ways.
Sabalenka will use the forehand to dictate play as she will use the angles to make Yastremska run from side to side. Meanwhile Yastremska will aim to defend well on the backhand side, extending the rallies and then waiting for the right moment to strike with her forehand. This will be a severe test for Sabalenka and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Yastremska win this match given the fact that Sabalenka will want to save her best tennis for Roland Garros.
Prediction: Yastremska in three sets.
Novak Djokovic [1] v Alejandro Tabilo [29] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Novak Djokovic [1] v Alejandro Tabilo [29] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €51,665 |
| Third on Center Court (Not before 13:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
A successful return to the tour for Novak Djokovic as he defeated Corentin Moutet to reach the third round. Although it was less successful off the court after the Serb was hit with a bottle, Djokovic will not be deterred as he aims to prove why he should be considered the favourite for Roland Garros. Now Djokovic aims to win his first title of the season and Rome as he is now one win away from a 1,100th victory of his career.
Djokovic will look to secure a landmark moment in his career when he takes on in-form Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the third round. The 29th seed enters Rome in good form having won the Challenger event in Aix en Provence and is on target to become a seeded player at Roland Garros. Tabilo’s all-court power and variety makes him a tricky opponent for any player as he now looks to secure the best win of his career.
Djokovic will aim to start the much better than he did in his last match as he will look to put Tabilo under pressure with his serve. Meanwhile Tabilo will aim to use the backhand to open up space on the court as he looks to test Djokovic’s movement on the baseline. This will be a good test for Djokovic and will benefit his preparations for Roland Garros but the Serb should advance in too tight sets.
Prediction: Djokovic in straight sets.
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Danielle Collins [13] v Caroline Garcia [22] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Danielle Collins [13] v Caroline Garcia [22] | H2H: Collins leads 4-0 |
| Rome 2024 | Rome, Italy |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €30,435 |
| Fourth on Grand Stand Arena (15:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
This may be Danielle Collins’ last season but she is showing no signs of slowing down as the American is determined to end her career on a high. The 13th seed has continued to produce high-quality tennis since winning her maiden WTA 1000 title in Miami as she continues to bully her opposition from the baseline. Now Collins will aim to continue her momentum on one of her favourite surfaces.
Next for Collins is Caroline Garcia who is struggling to find consistency in her game ahead of her home Grand Slam in Paris. The 30 year-old is either really good or really bad as there seems to be no in-between or control in Garcia’s game. Now the world number 23 will aim for a little more stability in Rome as she will pray for a big run at Roland Garros.
Collins will aim to put pressure on Garcia’s backhand as she looks to use a mixture of pace and variety to extract errors from the 22nd seed. Meanwhile Garcia will look to serve efficiently and consistently as she looks to approach the net in order to shorten up the points. This should be a decent test for Collins but the American should be too confident and consistent for an erratic Garcia.
Prediction: Collins in three sets.
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