WTA Rabat – Tatiana Pieri vs Ajla Tomljanovic

WTA Rabat – Tatiana Pieri vs Ajla Tomljanovic

🧠 Form & Context

🇮🇹 Tatiana Pieri
🌋 Surging on clay: 17–10 clay record in 2025; 22–13 overall this season.
🔥 Recent run: Won 7 of her last 8 matches, including a solid R1 win over Martinez Cirez in straight sets.
📈 ITF success: Dominant at 60K and 100K level, especially in Santa Margherita.
🎯 First-time territory: First career WTA Round of 16, facing a seasoned but still-recovering opponent.

🇦🇺 Ajla Tomljanovic
🧩 Wildcard rebound: Still working her way back from injury layoffs that sidelined much of 2023.
⚠️ Clay inconsistency: A 5–4 clay record in 2025, with up-and-down performances in Madrid, Rome, and Charleston.
🏆 Rabat pedigree: Finalist in 2018, SF in 2019, and QF in 2022—knows how to play here.
✅ R1 win: Beat Tomova in 3 sets but looked physically taxed during longer exchanges.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Pieri has the clay momentum and thrives in rhythm-heavy baseline rallies. Her strong form and a 74% win rate when claiming the first set suggest she’s dangerous if she starts fast.

Tomljanovic has more firepower and tour-level experience, but her fitness and match stamina remain question marks. She's won just 46% of her clay matches over the past 12 months, and Rabat’s slow bounce tends to favor patient counter-punchers like Pieri.

This match hinges on tempo. If Pieri extends rallies and draws errors, she could pull off the upset. If Tomljanovic lands early punches and avoids long points, she’ll take control.

🔮 Prediction

Tomljanovic’s ceiling is higher, but Pieri enters with better rhythm and a match-hardened mindset. Expect a scrappy, physical encounter that could go either way. 🧩 Prediction: Tomljanovic in 3 sets — Pieri keeps it close, but Ajla’s experience may edge her through the key moments.