Yeah well... in Rome, perfect conditions for our young Russian!

Golubic first brushed aside the Italian qualifier Urgesi 6-1 6-1 in the opening round, a world No. 410 opponent who didn’t manage to hold serve even once in the match. In the second round, she took out Maya Joint 7-5 6-2, saving seven set points in a tight first set before rolling through. First top-50 scalp of the year, first third round of her career in Rome. The 33-year-old Swiss is confident, but the level of her opponents hasn’t really prepared her for what awaits her today.

Andreeva, a seeded player with a first-round bye, has only played one match here, against Ruzic in the second round, whom she swept aside 6-1 6-0 in just 65 minutes. She comes in fresh, legs fully intact, riding the momentum of a player hitting her stride at exactly the right moment on her best surface of the season.