Sabalenka to shine at the Italian Open?

​​Sofia Kenin vs. Aryna Sabalenka @ 1 p.m. ET DAZN, TSN1, TVA Sports, Tennis Channel

What a season it’s been for Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian secured her first ever Grand Slam title back in January and is currently wowing the tennis world courtesy of an ongoing rivalry with Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka overcame the World No. 1 to claim that maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and she arrives in Italy having repeated the same feat at the Madrid Open last week.

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Oh, and sandwiched in between was a defeat in the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart to - yes, you’ve guessed it - Iga Swiatek once again.

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So it’s safe to say that Sabalenka is flying high in 2023, as she’s the massive favourite heading into this second round matchup against World No. 134 Sofia Kenin in Rome this afternoon.

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USA’s Kenin secured her place in today’s matchup courtesy of an impressive three-set win over Cristina Bucsa on Tuesday. And two factors are (very) slightly in her favour here.

The first is that the slow conditions in Rome could hinder Sabalenka’s groundstrokes, and the second is that the World No. 2 received a first round bye and will be making her first appearance on the Roman clay this afternoon.

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We’re still opting for a straight sets win though, and Sabalenka is definitely the player to watch this season.

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The Programme Pick: Sabalenka Over 18.5 (+114)

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Caroline Garcia vs. Ana Bogdan @ 11 a.m. ET DAZN, TVA Sports, Tennis Channel

After a breakout season last year, it’s hard to argue Caroline Garcia has lived up to the hype in 2023.

21-10 so far, her best performances have been runs to the final at Monterrey and Lyon. But she failed to turn either of those into titles - losing out to Donna Vekic and Alycia Parks respectively.

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Eliminated in Stuttgart by Anastasia Potapova at the quarterfinal stage, Garcia tested disappointment yet again at the Madrid Open - losing out to Mayar Sherif in the third round. 

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So while the World No. 4 heads into this morning’s match up against Ana Bogdan as the favourite, there's every reason to expect an upset on the clay courts in Rome.

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Bogdan overcame Nao Hibino in straight sets to get off to a flying start in Italy yesterday, and the Romanian won over 80% of the points behind the first serve.

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The 30-year-old, who reached the final of last year’s Poland Open, is looking to shake off a poor recent run of form. But the World No. 60 has beaten plenty of big hitters in her time, having previously racked up wins against the likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Paula Badosa and Maria Sakkari.

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Garcia leads the head to head record 2-0 here, most recently overcoming Bogdan in straight sets in the final of the Warsaw Open last year.

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But the Spaniard hasn't made it past the second round in Rome since 2018, so expect Anna Bogdan to give her a serious run for her money in this one.

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The Programme Pick: Ana Bogdan to win a set (-129)

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TV Guide

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