Italian Open 2024: Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (PR) Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider
Date: May 11, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $5,509,771
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider preview
Former World No. 2 Paula Badosa will take on Diana Shnaider in the third round of the 2024 Italian Open on Saturday, May 11.
Badosa ousted teen phenom Mirra Andreeva in the first round to set up a second-round date with 21st seed Emma Navarro. The Spaniard got outfoxed in the first set as she snagged just one game for herself in it.
Badosa was on the back foot in the second set as well as she went down 2-0. However, she raised her level and went on a four-game run to go 4-2 up. She remained ahead until the end of the set to clinch it and level the match.
Badosa was now firmly in control of the proceedings as she raced to a 5-1 lead in the decider in no time. The match was over soon after that, with the Spaniard completing a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback win.
Shnaider beat Greet Minnen to reach the second round, where she was up against 15th seed Liudmila Samsonova. The 20-year-old ran circles around her opponent in the first set as she gave away just one game in it.
Samsonova put up a fight in the second set and even stopped Shnaider from serving out the match on her first try. However, the latter snagged one final break of serve to score a 6-1, 6-3 victory. She has now made the third round of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in her career.
Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider head-to-head
Badosa leads Shnaider 2-1 in the head-to-head. The Spaniard won their most recent encounter a few weeks ago at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in straight sets.
Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider prediction
Badosa's win over Navarro was her first over a top-30 player since she beat Ons Jabeur in Rome last year. The Spaniard showed great determination to get over the finish line after being outplayed in the first set.
Shnaider has won both of her matches here in straight sets, though it's unlikely it'll be that straightforward against Badosa. The Russian's only win over her came via a retirement in Thailand earlier this year, which proved to be a lucky break for her as she went on to win the title.
However, Badosa has won both of their other matches, which were on clay to boot. When they met a month ago in Stuttgart, she saved all eight break points that she faced, despite hitting 10 double faults. If Shanider is unable to capitalize when the Spaniard isn't at her best, she is going to have a tough time when Badosa plays some lights-out tennis.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in straight sets.