Rain may have caused havoc on days 4 and 5, but the Peyton Stearns Express is up and running at the French Open. Entering Paris on the back of her maiden title in Rabat, Stearns is set to leave a mark on the biggest stage. However, she bumps into Daria Kasatkina in round 2, for a rematch of their last year’s round of 32.

Kasatkina started the clay swing on a high note, making the finals of the Charleston Open, where she lost to Danielle Collins. But the European clay hasn’t been kind to the Russian. She failed to establish herself on the courts of Madrid and Rome, suffering early exits. Aiming to re-enter the WTA Top 10, Dasha certainly has lots at stake here.

Peyton Stearns vs Daria Kasatkina: French Open Round 2 Preview

Unlike Kasatkina, Stearns has spent ample time on European clay this season. After an early exit in Madrid, the American participated in a couple of WTA 125 events to gain match practice. Two quarter-final appearances later, she stepped foot in Rabat and returned victorious. The triumph over Lucia Bronzetti was the highlight of the tournament where she stole the final set 7-5 after being down 0-5 30-40. Her knack for playing long three-setters continued in Paris as she overcame Lucija Ciric Bagaric in a match tie-break during the first round.

Kasatkina meanwhile started her French Open campaign with a comfortable win over Magdalena Frech (7-5, 6-1). Despite coming into the tournament with little preparation, her second-set performance was defiant. Her clay court prowess was evident in Charleston when she took down a top 5 pro in Jessica Pegula, as well as slow surface specialist Anhelina Kalinina.

Peyton Stearns vs Daria Kasatkina: Head-to-Head

Stearns leads Kasatkina 3-0 in head-to-head which includes a round three battle from last year’s French Open.

• Australian Open 2024 R1(H): Kasatkina won 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
• Cincinnati 2023 R1 (H): Kasatkina won 6-2, 6-1
• French Open 2023 R3 (C): Kasatkina won 6-0, 6-1

The head-to-head highlights the Russian’s dominance in the matchup, but Stearns, on the other hand, is enjoying a 6-match win streak.

Prediction:

Both players are dominant returners with a substandard serve. However, Kasatkina knows how to latch onto poor 2nd serves. Her efficient rally tolerance will force extra errors off Stearns’ racket, but the American will surely put her in uncomfortable spots with topspin heavy groundstrokes. The match is likely to see very few winners, as the players will struggle to hit through each other in the post-rain damp conditions.

Kasatkina’s defense will prove to be handy in this matchup. Stearns has gone into lockdown mode in big moments of late, which will ensure a competitive battle. However, she might not have enough left in her tank to take down the 10th seed.

Final Verdict: Kasatkina to win in 2 sets, in less than 20 games. Spotting an ace in this matchup would be a rarity, we may not see either hit one throughout the match.