Second round.

Giorgi (1.73) v Juvan (2.34)

Due to start at 6 pm.

This is their first meeting.

Juvan has better overall results in the last 12 months and also in 2020. She played ITF tournaments in the first 4 months of 2019. She also has stronger clay results.

Juvan has come through the qualifying rounds and beat 18th ranked Marketa Vondrousova in 3 sets in the main draw. She needed 3 sets in 2 of her 3 qualifying matches. This is her first tournament since the Tour was suspended in March.

Giorgi came through a close match with Rebecca Peterson in the last round. That was her first match on clay since she reached the third round at the French Open in 2018. She played pretty well and was only broken twice. She did hit 7 d faults though.

We have a good chance of this going to 3 sets. Lay Giorgi around 1.40 to 1.50 and remove all or some of the liability around 1.95. Lay the set 1 winner.

Juvan has a great chance today.

Update: Giorgi started well and took a 2-0 lead. She was immediately broken back and only won 1 more game in the set. She bounced back well in the second set and won it with a double break of serve. In the third set Giorgi took a 5-1 lead. She was broken when serving for the match at 5-2 but managed to hold from 5-4.
Giorgi won 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

 

Second round

Alexandrova (2.1) v Ferro (1.88)

Due to start at 3 pm

This will be their first meeting.

Overall results slightly favour Alexandrova in the last 12 months. Ferro’s 2020 results are a little better. Ferro is stronger on clay.

Ferro reached the quarter finals in Palermo last year. She won the title in Lausanne and a couple of ITF clay titles. She easily beat Nadia Podoroska in the last round. She played 9 exhibition matches during Covid. She won all over them. All of them were on hard courts. She had 2 wins over Kristina Mladenovic and a straight sets win over Alize Cornet.

Alexandrova has only played clay exhibition matches during the lockdown. Her only wins from her 6 matches were against 491st ranked Monika Kilnarova and Marketa Vondrousova. This week Alexandrova beat Mladenovic in 3 sets as slight underdog. She was broken 5 times in the opening set! A third round finish at the French Open in May 2019 was her only decent clay results on the main tour.

We have a chance of 3 sets but I have to favour Ferro to win. Back her around 2.20. Back her if she loses set 1.

Update: Alexandrova made the better start and took an early break lead. Ferro fought back. The set was very tight and a late break gave it to Ferro.
Alexandrova had a medical timeout on a back problem at the start of set 2.
Ferro won 7-5, 6-2.