Here are our top tennis picks and best bets for the day, covering the Italian Open, an ATP Challenger event, and a WTA 125 tournament. Reigning Charleston Open champion Jessica Pegula is scheduled to face Iga Swiatek in a highly anticipated match at center court today. The winner will advance to the semifinals.
After breezing past Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets, Casper Ruud will compete against Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals at center court in Rome. Additionally, we’ll cover the other women’s quarterfinal between Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina, as well as one match each from the WTA 125K event in Paris and the Challenger event in Valencia.
Top Tennis Picks and Best Bets of the Day
Jessica Pegula vs. Iga Swiatek: Swiatek in Two Sets
The two seasoned stars on the WTA circuit will face each other for the 12th time on tour. Swiatek leads the head-to-head battle against Pegula, 6-5, with only one of those meetings coming on clay. Pegula is a dominant 9-1 on clay this season, winning the title in Charleston but then falling in R3 in Madrid.
The Pole is 5-2 on clay this season and is aiming to win her first title this year. Swiatek has been largely inconsistent this season, but in Rome she seems to have found her rhythm again. The six-time Grand Slam champion made light work of Naomi Osaka in R4, and we expect a similar story to unfold today. Swiatek to win in straight sets.
Casper Ruud vs Karen Khachanov: Ruud in Two Sets
Ruud and Khachanov will face each other for the fourth time on tour. The Norwegian leads the head-to-head 2-1, with one of those wins coming at the 2020 Rome Masters. Ruud is a dominant 8-2 on clay this season, while the Russian is at 4-3.
Taking Ruud’s previous wins into account, we don’t expect the former World No. 8 to cause a major upset today. We are leaning toward the Norwegian coming out of the blocks quickly and dispatching Khachanov in straight sets.
Emma Navarro vs. Katie Volynets: Navarro in Three Sets
This marks only the third encounter between Navarro and Volynets. The Americans are tied at 1-1, with their previous match on clay at the 2024 Charleston Open, which Navarro won in two sets. Volynets has a 7-5 record on clay this season, while Navarro is 1-1.
Both players had early exits in Rome and immediately turned their attention to the WTA 125 event in Paris, France. We anticipate a lively match between the two 24-year-olds today, but we favor Navarro to perform well and narrowly defeat Volynets in three closely contested sets.
Matteo Berrettini vs. Taro Daniel: Berrettini in Two Sets
Matteo Berrettini and Taro Daniel will be going up against each other for the sixth time on tour, with the Italian leading the head-to-head battle 3-2 overall and 2-1 on clay. Both players have been struggling on tour, showcasing poor agility and groundstroke speed during matches.
However, we expect the Italian to dominate the proceedings today from the outset, taking the game to the Japanese pro and winning the tie in straight sets.
Elina Svitolina vs. Elena Rybakina: Rybakina in Two Sets
Elina Svitolina, in great form, is set to face World No. 2 Elena Rybakina for the eighth time on tour. Rybakina currently leads their head-to-head matchups 4-3, but Svitolina has the advantage on clay, leading 2-1 in their encounters on that surface.
This will be their fourth meeting on clay, with the winner advancing to the semifinals in Rome. Rybakina has an impressive 9-1 record on clay this season, having won the title in Stuttgart, while Svitolina is 6-2.
Many people predict the match will be closely contested, but we anticipate Rybakina asserting her dominance right from the start. She is expected to win in straight sets against her Ukrainian opponent, advancing to her fifth semifinal of the season.
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