Carla Suarez Navarro could rise to No. 8 in the world rankings with a win over Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s Rome final. Suarez Navarro defeated Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep in the quarterfinals and semifinals; with Halep’s loss and Sharapova’s semifinal win, the Russian will be ranked No. 2 on Monday.

“I was practicing really hard during the whole season, maybe that’s why I feel also with more confidence,” Suarez Navarro said after her improvement. “I try to play more aggressive, this is important to play with the best players. I want to play my best every time.”

The two have faced off four times, with Sharapova leading 3-1. They have played three matches over the past nine months, with Suarez Navarro winning in Montreal in August and Sharapova winning afterwards in Beijing and Brisbane. They have never played against each other on clay.

“Maria is very good mentally,” Suarez Navarro said. “She plays aggressive in the important moments, and serves really well in the important moments. She focuses so well, which is really important. She loves this surface. She grew up on clay.”