Italian Open 2024: Sara Errani vs Amanda Anisimova; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

The clay court swing continues into the Italian Open. Sara Errani will play against Amanda Anisimova in the round of 128 on Wednesday. Age has understandably limited Errani’s peak performance at 37. Anisimova, however, shows glimpses of her former potential. A heartbreaking loss and injuries have unfortunately stalled her progress since her teenage years.

Errani has shown an average performance this season. She has been able to qualify for all tournaments she attempted but couldn’t go beyond two wins, with her Copa Colsanitas semifinal run as the exception. On the other hand, Anisimova returned to tennis at the start of this year after going on a mental health break in the 2023 clay court swing. She showed a good hold on outdoor hard courts but has only managed one win on clay courts so far.

Sara Errani vs Amanda Anisimova: Preview

Sara Errani won two qualifiers and the round of 128 in the Madrid Open, but lost in the round of 64 to Beatriz Haddad Maia, 3-6, 2-6. In the main draw of Madrid, Errani did not hit any aces or double faults. Against Maia, she landed 92% of her first serves and won 51% of points on first serves. She could only manage 1 break point out of 5 but crumbled her serve 4 times against the Brazilian. She could not return well on serve either, as she won 13 points out of 49.  

The Madrid Open ended for Amanda Anisimova in the round of 128. She lost to Emilia Arango 6-1, 4-6, 6-7. She could not manage any aces and hit 2 double faults. Anisimova landed 52% of first serves and won 51% of the points. On second serves, she won 50%. She won 8 out of 11 break points and gave away 7 out of 14. She managed to convert 47 out of 94 break points, which showed a good hold of her opponent until Arango surpassed her in the second and third sets. 

Errani vs Anisimova: Head-to-Head

Sara Errani and Amanda Anisimova have played against each other once on the WTA Tour. Their only clash took place in the 2018 Indian Wells 125k event, which saw Errani take the win 6-4, 6-2. Their only match has been played 6 years ago on the hard court. They will play on clay against each other for the first time and will attempt to gain the upper hand on the slower court. 

Prediction: Errani to win a close match

Both Sara Errani and Amanda Anisimova have had a challenging few months in terms of their performance. They have struggled to secure wins, making their upcoming clash a closely contested one. However, Errani seems to have a slightly better momentum, having managed some wins in the clay court season.

Both players have shown similar performance under pressure, but Anisimova has demonstrated a better ability to convert break points, which could be a crucial factor in the match. Given the recent form of both players, it’s clear that they haven’t been able to maintain strong control over their games. Therefore, regardless of who has the lead, the match can turn upside down very quickly. However, at the moment, Errani has the better chance of moving ahead, improving upon her results from 2023.