Emma Raducanu (L) and Bianca Andreescu.
Match details
Fixture: (10) Emma Raducanu vs (PR) Bianca Andreescu.
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Emma Raducanu vs Bianca Andreescu preview
Emma Raducanu at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open.
US Open champions Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu are set to face each other in a blockbuster first-round showdown at the Italian Open.
Raducanu has done rather well in her first clay season on the WTA tour. At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, she scored wins over Storm Sanders and Tamara Korpatsch before losing to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Raducanu next competed at the Madrid Open. Up against Tereza Martincova in the first round, she saved a set point before clinching the opening set and winning the match 7-6 (3), 6-0. She then defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1. The teenager lost to Anhelina Kalinina in the third round, who had earlier defeated Sloane Stephens and Garbine Muguruza in the tournament.
Raducanu is now gearing up for her debut at the Italian Open.
Bianca Andreescu at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open.
After her title defense came to an end in the third round of the 2021 Indian Wells Open in October, Bianca Andreescu didn’t compete for almost six months. She returned to the tour in April, making her comeback at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Andreescu made a winning comeback by defeating Jule Niemeier in straight sets. She then lost to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the second round. At the Madrid Open, the Canadian was tested by Alison Riske in the first round, but eventually prevailed in three sets.
Andreescu handed 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins a 6-1, 6-1 beatdown in the second round. Against Jessica Pegula in the third round, she led 5-3 in the first set, but lost the match 7-5. 6-1. The 2019 US Open champion is set to compete in Rome for the first time this year.
Emma Raducanu vs Bianca Andreescu head-to-head
This will be the first encounter between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Emma Raducanu vs Bianca Andreescu odds
All odds are courtesy of BetMGM.
Emma Raducanu vs Bianca Andreescu prediction
Emma Raducanu at the 2022 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Both are making their debuts in Rome, but it’s going to end on a sour note for one of them. Raducanu is more match fit and has more wins on clay this year compared to Andreescu, so she’ll have a slight edge heading into this encounter.
Neither is playing at the level that won them the US Open right now, but it’s only a matter of time before they find their form. Raducanu has been quick to adapt to clay. She’s moving quite well and timing her shots accordingly. Andreescu has also been quick to find her footing despite being away from tennis for quite some time.
Raducanu’s serve has been working quite well over the past couple of weeks. She’ll need to serve consistently to have an edge against the Canadian. Andreescu is more skilled at hitting a variety of shots compared to the teenager.
The 21-year-old tends to find more success when she carefully constructs the points, rather than simply relying on her powerful groundstrokes. Her forehand is much better than the teenager’s and she could target that wing to get some errors or weak responses.
Raducanu has faced some difficulty while trying to close out matches as well. If Andreescu is able to build pressure when she’s on the backfoot, she could turn the match around in her favor.
This could be a closely contested contest, with Raducanu likely to squeak past her opponent to progress to the second round.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.
