Italy's Francesca Schiavone hopes to become the first Italian woman to win Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. The 30-year-old bested American teen Christina McHale in her opening match on Tuesday. Schiavone, who is the reigning Roland Garros champion, has been in a mini-slump on dirt, losing her opening match in Stuttgart last month and her second-round match in Madrid last week, to Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
"That result left a bad taste in the mouth because I know I can do a lot better," said the second-seeded Schiavone. "I need to improve my concentration levels, better my rhythm and time my forehand...It means a lot to me to be second seed. The first time I played here was as a wild card so it means I've improved. Of course, good results bring great responsibility."—Matthew Cronin