Rome Betting Preview: Linda Noskova vs. Mirra Andreeva 

On Sunday, May 11, two of the most talented young players in the sport will collide at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, when Mirra Andreeva takes on Linda Noskova in the Round of 32. Andreeva has been on another level early in her young career. The Russian is the seventh-ranked player in the world, and she has won two 1000-level titles this year. Andreeva also happened to beat Noskova to a pulp in Brisbane earlier in the season, 6-3, 6-0 back in January.

Noskova played very poorly in that match, but she won at least one set against Andreeva in their previous two matches. So, has Andreeva leveled up and made this too lopsided of a matchup in terms of skill and talent? Or did Noskova just play a forgettable match in January? The answer is probably somewhere in between, but I think the latter was the more important factor Down Under. So, I’m taking a chance on the Czech to win a set here.

Noskova is one of the most remarkable ball strikers on the WTA Tour. She has big power from both wings, hits a flat ball and can be deadly accurate when she’s on her game. So, for as good of a mover as Andreeva is, Noskova will make life difficult for her if she isn’t having an off day. Also, while the slower conditions in Rome will make it harder to get the ball by Andreeva, they’ll also give Noskova more time to set her feet and be bold when aiming for targets.

I’m also not fully convinced Andreeva is completely healthy right now. She didn’t look right in her quarterfinal loss to Coco Gauff in Madrid, where she landed just 59.2% of her first serves and didn't look as confident from the baseline. If Noskova gets a ton of looks at the Andreeva second serve, her eyes will get big and she’ll rip her returns. And if Andreeva isn't playing aggressive tennis, she'll have trouble controlling the baseline.

This just isn’t as straightforward of a match as it might look like when seeing the rankings next to these two players, or the odds attached to the match. Noskova might not be cemented yet, but she’s one of the most dangerous players on tour, and has a Top 10 future. This year alone, the Czech has earned wins over Paula Badosa, Donna Vekic, Diana Shnaider and Jessica Pegula. She also pushed Iga Swiatek in a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-4 loss in Doha. Her best level allows her to play with anyone, and I think there’s a decent shot we’ll see some high-level stuff from here in Rome.

That, combined with Andreeva being somewhat shaky lately, makes this a match that could go three sets. And I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Noskova wins.

Pick: Noskova +1.5 Sets (-115)