WTA ITALIAN OPEN DRAW: ARYNA SABALENKA GETS TOUGH PATH AS IGA SWIATEK AVOIDS BIGGEST THREATS
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have landed in a tough-looking bottom half of the 2024 Italian Open draw, while Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are both in the top half.
Sabalenka and Rybakina are on the same side of the draw for the second consecutive WTA 1000 clay-court event, after the pair faced off in the semi-finals at the Madrid Open last week. The Belarusian prevailed 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in a pulsating encounter.
Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina have been the leading trio in women’s tennis so far this year, with the form of world No 3 and US Open champion Gauff not quite reaching the same heights.
Rybakina, who is the No 4 seed in Rome, is the defending champion, having overcome Anhelina Kalinina in the 2023 Italian Open final.
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Jessica Pegula, the world No 5, and Karolina Muchova, the world No 14 who has not played since the US Open in September, have both withdrawn due to injury.
The 32 seeded players will all receive a first round bye in the 96-player draw, while the 12 qualifiers will be known after the qualifying draw concludes.
Sabalenka, the second seed, will face either Wang Yafan or a qualifier in her opening match, before a possible third round encounter with 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska.
The two-time Australian Open winner could then play either No 16 seed Elina Svitolina or No 23 seed Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round.
In the quarter-finals, Sabalenka would potentially take on either Ons Jabeur or Jelena Ostapenko — the eighth and ninth seeds respectively.
Sabalenka and Rybakina could meet in a semi-final showdown in a rematch of their Madrid clash, while the winner could meet Swiatek or Gauff in the final.
Swiatek, a two-time Italian champion, will begin her campaign against either Caroline Dolehide or a qualifier, before facing a potential third round matchup with Sloane Stephens or Yulia Putintseva.
The four-time Major winner and world No 1 could then take on Ekaterina Alexandrova (14) or Veronika Kudermetova (17) in the last 16.
Marketa Voundrousova (6), Beatriz Haddad Maia (12) and Madison Keys (18) are among possible last eight opponents for the 22-year-old Pole.
In the semi-finals, Swiatek might take on No 3 seed Gauff, with Qinwen Zheng (7), Daria Kasatkina (10) and Liudmila Samsonova other potential last four adversaries.
Play in the main draw in Rome will begin on May 7, with the women’s final to be held on May 18.
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