Not exactly a gift of a first round for the young Russian!

In just a few months, Antonia Ruzic has become one of the most uncomfortable players to face on tour. The 23-year-old Croatian right-hander, ranked WTA 59, doesn’t have the résumé to impress, but she has something more valuable at the moment: she doesn’t care about the name on the other side of the net. This season she has beaten Rybakina in Dubai, Zheng in Indian Wells, and Svitolina earlier in the year. Yesterday against Rakhimova, she struggled in three sets, faced many break points, before winning the last six points of the match. That’s the profile of a player who knows how to close and defend her baseline beautifully!

On the other side, Mirra Andreeva has been on a relentless run for six weeks. A title in Linz at the start of April, a final in Madrid last Sunday, and now Rome with Roland-Garros looming on the horizon. The 17-year-old Russian is one of the best clay-court players on tour, her backhand is an absolute weapon, and she strings together winning sets even in her bad matches. But she cries, she drops sets, and she sometimes shows up empty for her first matches after a big final. Mental fatigue is real even when the body is still holding up.