WTA Italian Open 2022: Women’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction
Follow Us
Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka - Top-3 seeds of the WTA Italian Open 2022
The WTA Italian Open 2022 will be the last WTA-1000 category clay-court event of the season on the WTA Tour. This year’s edition will be the 79th edition of the tournament in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the Tour. Held in Rome, it is often the final tournament of many players prior to the season’s French Open in Paris, usually held a week later in Paris.
Tournament Details:
- Tournament: WTA Italian Open 2022
- Date: May 9- May 15, 2022
- Number of Entrants: 56 (Singles), 28 (Doubles)
- Venue: Foro Italico
- Surface: Clay Court
- Prize Money: € 2,527,250
- Defending champion: Iga Swiatek
Top Seeds at the WTA Italian Open 2022
- Iga Swiatek
- Paula Badosa
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Maria Sakkari
- Anett Kontaveit
- Karolina Pliskova
- Danielle Collins
- Garbine Muguruza
Top Half
Top-seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek opens the draw with a first-round bye and will start her title defence against the winner of the match between Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske. Victoria Azarenka and Viktorija Golubic will lock horns in an exciting first-round clash with a clash between Swiatek and Azarenka in the Round of 16 looking imminent.
US Open champs Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu will clash in another exciting round 1 clash with the winner likely to meet Naomi Osaka who starts against Sara Sorribes Tormo. 5th seed Anett Kontaveit has a first-round bye and is likely to take on Karolina Muchova who starts against a qualifier. Kontaveit and Raducanu look the ones to move into the Round of 16 with a match-up between Iga and Anett looking likely for the quarter-finals.
Third-seed Aryna Sabalenka has a bye in the first round and will meet the winner of the tie between Shuai Zhang and Martina Trevisan. Runner-up in Madrid Open, 13th seed Jessica Pegula starts against Luidmila Samsonova and is likely to meet compatriot Madison Keys in the second round. 7th seed Danielle Collins has a first-round bye and will be part of what promises to be an exciting second-round clash between her and the winner of the matchup between Simona Halep and Alize Cornet.
1st Semifinal Prediction: Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka
Bottom Half
8th seeded Garbine Muguruza starts with a bye in the first round and will play one of the two yet to be confirmed qualifiers. Home favourite Camila Giorgi will take on Ajla Tomljanovic in the first-round with the winner set to take on 9th seeded and Madrid Open champion Ons Jabeur who takes on Sorana Cirstea in the first round. Muguruza and Jabeur could clash in the third round with the Tunisian looking the one heading to the quarter-finals.
15th seed Coco Gauff takes on former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber in a promising first-round encounter. 4th seed Maria Sakkari has a bye in the first-round and will take on the winner of the match-up between Sloane Stephens and Ekaterina Alexandrova. Last year’s runner-up Karolina Pliskova is the sixth seed and gets a bye in round 1 and will take on the winner from the clash between Jasmine Paolini and Jil Teichmann.
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko starts against a qualifier and so does Elena Rybakina as the two are likely to meet in the second round. 14th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova opens her campaign this year in Rome against Leylah Fernandez. 2nd seed Paula Badosa has a bye in the first-round and is likely to take on Veronica Kudermetova who starts against a qualifier.
2nd Semifinal Prediction: Maria Sakkari vs Paula Badosa
Semifinals
With Sabalenka still hunting for consistency and Iga coming fresh from a small break to heal her shoulder and prepare specifically for the event in Rome in order to be ready for the French Open, it looks like another win for the young Pole who is eyeing a successful title defence. With the honours shared head-to-head between Maria and Paula and both players coming from a second-round defeat, expect them to bounce back strongly and play a thrilling semis for which they look favourite.
WTA Italian Open 2022 Final: Iga Swiatek vs Paula Badosa
Final
Given their respective forms this season, it looks to be the age-old top-two seeds battling it out for the title. Remembering the double-bagel dismissal of Pliskova in last year’s finals by the well-rested and fresh Iga, Badosa stands a very little chance to make it past the World No. 1 who will be eyeing her fourth WTA-1000 title of the season.
Champion: Iga Swiatek
Also Read: “I’m not sure,” Emma Raducanu sheds light on her participation in Rome
Stay Updated!
Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)