Italian Open 2023: Alycia Parks vs Anett Kontaveit Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Italian Open first-round match featuring Alycia Parks vs. Anett Kontaveit on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Alycia Parks vs. Anett Kontaveit Preview

Two big hitters go toe-to-toe when Alycia Parks faces Anett Kontaveit in the first round of the 2023 Italian Open in Rome. Who will prevail?

It’s a matchup pitting two very good indoor hard-court players. Alycia Parks has already showcased her superiority under the roof, collecting her maiden WTA title earlier this season. While Anett Kontaveit has been a dominant force on that surface almost single-handedly rising to No. 2 by virtue of her strong results indoors. So this will be a tricky contest for both players whose affinity for the clay is wanting.

Anett Kontaveit has not particularly had a great year by any means. In fact, she’s well outside the pecking order, dropping as low as No. 82 coming to the 2023 Italian Open. She is 5-6 for the season and was soundly beaten by Karolina Muchova in Madrid two weeks ago. Had the draw format retained its previous number of 56, she wouldn’t have made the cut in Rome.

Alycia Parks vs. Anett Kontaveit Prediction and Pick

Alycia Parks and Anett Kontaveit have not played each other on the WTA Tour, with this first round at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome being their first meeting. A precarious back injury has been the source of frustration for Anett Kontaveit whose season has been a mare. I can’t see her fortunes changing anytime season if she is still physically and mentally impeded by that chronic pain. With that said, Parks is coming off a great run in Madrid where she made the third round, pulling off some quality wins over Schmiedlova and Azarenka albeit at altitude. Still, the American looks too big on the ML here, with Kontaveit’s struggles well documented.