World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headlines third-round action at the WTA Rome Masters. That is one of eight matches on the schedule and as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for every match on the slate. Who will reach the last 16 at the Foro Italico?

WTA Rome Day 5 Predictions

Iva Jovic vs Taylor Townsend

Head-to-head: Towsend 1-0 Jovic

Jovic might end up playing three Americans in her opening three rounds. She saw off McCartney Kessler in two tiebreaks in a very close match and now faces doubles specialist Taylor Townsend, who is having an outstanding singles campaign from qualifying. There is a mouthwatering fourth-round clash against Coco Gauff should seeds hold. But this is a tricky match for the American prodigy.

Jovic loves to dictatem and when she has so much time on the ball, she’s a clinical finisher. Townsend is unlikely to give the 18-year-old so much rhythm from the baseline. If Townsend can mix spins effectively and attack the net constantly, Jovic could struggle to adjust.Prediction: Townsend in 3

Jasmine Paolini vs Elise Mertens

Head-to-head: Mertens 4-2 Paolini

‎Paolini survived a real scare in her opening match against French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean. The defending champion dropped the first set in a tiebreak but relied on her return game to turn things around. It took three hours for the Italian to complete the comeback. And because of her stuttering start to the season, Paolini’s chances of defending her title are slim.

Mertens doesn’t have the raw explosiveness from the back of the court, but she’s disciplined and patient in the lengthy exchanges and can frustrate Paolini with her counterpunching game. And in the form she is in, I think Mertens should be able to handle the pressure points better and end Paolini’s reign in Rome.

‎Prediction: Mertens in 3

Linda Noskova vs Oleksandra Oliynykova

Head-to-head: first meeting

‎Oliynykova was on course for a straight-sets win against Clara Tauson. The Dane retired from the match while trailing by a set and a break. For Olynykova, progressing to the next round was the target, but she certainly played some good tennis, albeit against an unfit opponent. Noskova was equally brilliant in getting the job done against Anastasia Zakharova and bounced back from her disappointing loss to Marta Kostyuk in Madrid.

Noskova is the clear favorite in this match. She brings a more reliable first serve and her backhand is top-tier. And even on slower clay, she can rush opponents by flattening her forehand. This should be comfortable for the Czech.Prediction: Noskova in 2

Aryna Sabalenka vs Sorana Cirstea

Head-to-head: Sabalenka 2-1 Cirstea

‎If Sabalenka needed an early test after that shock loss in Madrid, then she got it in the shape of former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova. This time, Sabalenka was composed and clinical and even had the temerity to pull off a tweener during the match. Cirstea, for her part, hardly looked in any danger as she cruised past Tatjana Maria 6-2 6-0. There will be a complete change of strategy from the Romanian coming into this match, as Sabalenka brings a heavier ball than Maria. Sabalenka has also become comfortable constructing points on clay and resists the urge to overhit. Expect another emphatic showing from the top seed.

‎Prediction: Sabalenka in 2

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

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