Italian Open 2023: Mayar Sherif vs Anna Blinkova Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Italian Open first-round match featuring Mayar Sherif vs. Anna Blinkova on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Mayar Sherif vs. Anna Blinkova Preview

Egyptian No. 1 Mayar Sherif will face Anna Blinkova in an intriguing matchup in the first round of the Italian Open in Rome. Who will prevail?

Mayar Sherif has been in fine form in the past few weeks on her beloved clay courts, putting together a semifinal run at the Oeiras W100 ITF tournament, and then upsetting some big names in Madrid in her run to the quarterfinal. That eye-catching run to the last eight is her best result at WTA 1000, taking a set from eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set defeat. She’s never played the Italian Open in Rome before, so Sherif is set for her debut against Anna Blinkova.

Anna Binkova seems to have hit rock bottom as far as her season goes in 2023. In the last 10 tournaments she has entered, Blinkova hasn’t gone beyond the second in any of them. So the only highlight of her season so far remains the semifinal finish in Hobart in January. Can she get anything at the Italian Open?

Mayar Sherif vs. Anna Blinkova Prediction and Pick

Mayar Sherif leads Anna Blinkova 1-0 in their head-to-head, winning that match on clay in Marbella last year. These two players have shown contrasting forms coming to the Italian Open. As Sherif continues to cement her top-50 status, Blinkova has lost her way and is now outside the top 70 after a run of three wins from her last eight matches. Back the Egyptian to take this pretty comfortably.