Italian Open 2023: Noskova vs. Rogers Tennis Prediction and Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Italian Open first-round match featuring Linda Noskova vs. Shelby Rogers on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Linda Noskova vs. Shelby Rogers Preview

Czech teenager sensation Linda Noskova will face Shelby Rogers in a popcorn first-round match at the Italian Open in Rome. Who will prevail?

After taking the tennis world by storm in the opening two months of the season, Linda Noskova has run out of steam in recent weeks. Noskova was forced to retire in her last tournament, the W100 ITF in Oerias, Portugal, trailing Margaux Rouvroy 6-2, 2-0. Noskova had a 17-5 record on clay last season, a run that included her successful qualification at the 2022 French Open. Let’s see if she will be fit enough to play at the Italian Open when she opens up against the experienced Shelby Rogers.

Shelby Rogers, meanwhile, lost in the third round at her last tournament in Madrid against the dangerous Irina-Camelia Begu. The American has never shied away from playing her best tennis on clay even though her biggest results have all come on hard courts. Rogers actually made the quarterfinals of the French Open back in 2016, so she’s definitely an all-surface threat.

Linda Noskova vs. Shelby Rogers Prediction and Pick

Linda Noskova and Shelby Rogers have not played each other on the WTA Tour, with the first-round match at the Italian Open being their first meeting. It’s a great opportunity for Noskova to showcase her talent on clay, but it’s been far from an ideal preparation coming into the tournament. She retired from the W100 Oerias ITF almost three weeks ago, so it’s wise to stay clear from taking the Czech here in her first match back.