Italian Open 2022: Paula Badosa vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (2) Paula Badosa vs (Q) Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Date: 11 May 2022
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €2,527,250.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Paula Badosa vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview
Second seed Paula Badosa will take on World No. 50 Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round of the 2022 Italian Open on Wednesday.
Badosa had built some momentum for herself during the clay season, before it was halted by her early exit from the Madrid Open.
The Spaniard reached the quarterfinals of the Charleston Open, going down to eventual champion Belinda Bencic in three sets. At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, she lost in the semifinals to Aryna Sabalenka. Despite the defeat, she reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
Badosa kicked off her Madrid Open campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 win over familiar foe Veronika Kudermetova. However, she lost to former World No. 1 Simona Halep 6-3, 6-1 in the second round.
Making her debut at the Italian Open this week, the Spaniard will hope to return to winning ways and string together a few positive results ahead of the French Open.
@paulabadosa dispatches Kudermetova and sets up a 2R clash with Halep 
Good day at the home office 👩💻
🇪🇸 @paulabadosa dispatches Kudermetova and sets up a 2R clash with Halep 💥
#MMOPEN https://t.co/mSTKjPQLBr
Aliaksandra Sasnovich, meanwhile, made a disappointing start to the claycourt swing, but turned things around in Rome.
She lost in the first round of the Charleston Open and failed to make it past the qualifying rounds in Madrid. She returned to winning ways in Rome, defeating Nuria Brancaccio and Andrea Petkovic to book her spot in the main draw.
Up against World No. 28 Veronika Kudermetova in the first round, Sasnovich dropped the opening set. She raised her level in the second set and clinched it in a tie-break. She completely dominated the deciding set and completed a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win.
Paula Badosa vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head
The two have never faced off on the main tour before, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0. Sasnovich did, however, beat the Spaniard in the qualifying rounds of the 2015 US Open in three sets.
Paula Badosa vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Paula Badosa vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich prediction
Badosa is the overwhelming favorite on paper, but Sasnovich is playing quite well at the moment and should not be written off.
The conditions at the Italian Open are not similar to Madrid's, which could tilt the scales in favor of Sasnovich, who has already won three matches in the city.
But the Belarusian has plenty of holes in her game that Badosa can exploit. Her serve is not the steadiest and she coughed up five double faults in her opening match.
Moreover, she does not boast a great record against the big names. Sasnovich's only win over a top-10 player since January 2019 came against Serena Williams after the American retired due to an injury during their first-round match at Wimbledon.
Badosa, meanwhile, is a fierce competitor and has a game that's well-suited to clay. The Spaniard does not have any major weapons but is extremely solid from the baseline and can switch from defense to offense in the blink of an eye. She's also a great mover and can get extra balls back into play. Her serve is also a big asset.
Badosa may take some time to get used to the conditions in Rome, but once she finds her rhythm, she should be able to cruise past Sasnovich.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in straight sets.