WTA Rabat – Arantxa Rus vs Maria Mateas

WTA Rabat – Arantxa Rus vs Maria Mateas

🧠 Form & Context

🇳🇱 Arantxa Rus
🧱 WTA veteran: Over 740 career wins, including an impressive 444–203 record on clay.
🟰 Solid but unspectacular: 11–8 on clay in 2025; recent wins over Grabher and Fossa Huergo.
💡 Knows Rabat: QF in 2022, and this is her fourth main draw appearance here.
🧊 Resilient: Has dropped sets in 3 of her last 5 wins, but usually finds a way through.
🧭 Lefty edge: Her angles can trouble right-handed players like Mateas.

🇺🇸 Maria Mateas
🔄 Wildcard run: Defeated Elizabeth Mandlik in R1 to reach her first WTA R16 of the season.
🔥 In-form: 5–2 in her last 7 matches, with wins on the ITF circuit (Matoula, Rodriguez).
⚠️ Not a clay specialist: Just 4–6 on clay in 2025, with better results on hard courts.
🎯 Underdog spark: Has yet to face a top-100 opponent in Rabat but thrives when underestimated.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Rus brings experience and a battle-tested clay-court baseline game. Her consistent depth and topspin make her tough to hit through, especially for players like Mateas who prefer pace and flatter trajectories.

Mateas will need to start fast—like she did in their only meeting in 2022 when she took the first set. But over time, Rus’s rally tolerance and court IQ wore her down. A similar dynamic may unfold here.

If Rus avoids a slow start, she could win comfortably. But Mateas is playing with confidence, and early scoreboard pressure could once again force Rus to dig deep.

🔮 Prediction

Maria Mateas has earned her spot here, but Rus is too savvy and too experienced on clay to let this one slip—especially in Rabat’s grinding conditions. 🧩 Prediction: Rus in 3 sets – Expect the veteran to absorb pressure early and take control as the match wears on.