Saturday's tennis acca: Coco Gauff and Holger Rune to prove their points

Holger Rune and Coco Gauff are two of the best players on clay who seem to have been left behind this season.

Gauff has a chance to put together a decent run in Rome to get back on the radar.

Rune meanwhile is also hunting a big win in Rome while eyes might be elsewhere.

Here we make our picks for the action on Saturday in Rome at the Italian Open.

 

ATP Rome: Sebastian Baez vs Dusan Lajovic | Pick: Baez

ATP Rome: Marcos Giron vs Andrey Rublev | Pick: Rublev

ATP Rome: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jan-Lennard Struff | Pick: Tsitsipas

ATP Rome: Luca Nardi vs Holger Rune | Pick: Rune

WTA Rome: Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Madison Keys | Pick: Keys

WTA Rome: Linda Noskova vs Qinwen Zheng | Pick: Noskova

WTA Rome: Sorana Cirstea vs Marketa Vondrousova | Pick: Vondrousova

WTA Rome: Coco Gauff vs Jaqueline Cristian | Pick: Gauff

 

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ATP Rome: Sebastian Baez vs Dusan Lajovic

Sebastian Baez and Dusan Lajovic will take each other on for the third time in history.

They have split the previous two meetings but Lajovic beat Baez on his home turf in their last clash.

Baez is in action for the first time in Rome while Lajovic defeated Lorenzo Sonego to reach this stage.

This will be a tough match for Baez to start his Rome campaign.

 

ATP Rome: Marcos Giron vs Andrey Rublev

Madrid champion Andrey Rublev starts his Rome tilt against a player he has beaten in their only previous clash.

Rublev might be suffering from the dreaded title hangover but should still fire through this one.

The Russian is playing brilliantly on clay and seems to have unlocked a better state of mind for winning tennis.

Rublev should extend his winning streak to seven matches.

 

ATP Rome: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jan-Lennard Struff have enjoyed a rollercoaster rivalry in which the Greek leads 4-3.

Struff took a rankings hit for failing to defend his Madrid points from 2023 but remains a tough player to best on clay.

Struff leads the rivalry on clay 2-1 but Tsitsipas has found some great touch in recent weeks.

They last met at the 2023 Madrid Open when Struff reached the final as a lucky loser.

 

ATP Rome: Luca Nardi vs Holger Rune

Holger Rune is 5-3 on clay this season in what has been a disappointing start to the swing for the Dane.

Luca Nardi has a pretty good record on clay this term but that includes a title win at Challenger level.

Rune has little to fear from Nardi but will still need to play at the top of the game.

Nardi was great in his opening match in Rome and will have the crowd right behind him. 

 

WTA Rome: Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Madison Keys

Madison Keys stunned in Madrid as she reached the semi-finals before running out of steam.

To get going in Rome she will have to beat Beatriz Haddad Maia who won the only prior meeting between these players.

This is a third-round match which is tough to call but Keys looks like the better player right now.

Haddad Maia also made the last eight in Madrid so this clash is quite the blockbuster.

 

WTA Rome: Linda Noskova vs Qinwen Zheng

Qinwen Zheng holds the lead in the rivalry but she faces a player in good form.

Zheng won when these players met at the W60 event in Stare Splavy.

Noskova and Zheng snapped losing streaks in their opening matches in Rome and can now build some form.

Noskova and Zheng also have identical records on clay this season but that will diverge after this match.

 

WTA Rome: Sorana Cirstea vs Marketa Vondrousova

Marketa Vondrousova has a poor record against Sorana Cirstea having won just one of their four matches.

Cirstea has also won the last three meetings between the players including a clash in February this year.

Vondrousova has enjoyed the better clay swing which should give her a foothold in this match.

Vondrousova will have the opportunity to turn this rivalry around and build her confidence.

 

WTA Rome: Coco Gauff vs Jaqueline Cristian

Jaqueline Cristian has been grinding hard on the clay swing but has to overcome one of the best in Coco Guaff.

This will be the first meeting between these two players at any level.

Gauff needs to get herself into top form ahead of the Roland Garros and this is a must-win match for her.

Cristian is a good player but Gauff should be able to find a way to win in this match.