🎾 WTA Rome: Varvara Gracheva vs Ajla Tomljanović

🎾 WTA Rome: Varvara Gracheva vs Ajla Tomljanović – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🇦🇺 Ajla Tomljanović

• Qualified with grit: Earned her sixth main-draw appearance in Rome by winning both qualifying matches—building rhythm and match confidence.
• Patchy 2025: After a strong end to 2024 (title in Hong Kong, final in Birmingham), she's dropped out of the top 70 due to four R1 exits in her last five tournaments.
• Clay challenges: Rome has never been a successful venue—never past R2—and her powerful baseline game struggles with consistency on slower surfaces.
• Still dangerous: Recent close matches and qualifying momentum suggest she remains a threat when timing and rhythm align.

🇫🇷 Varvara Gracheva

• Confidence crisis: Hasn't won back-to-back matches since October 2024, and is winless in main-draw matches across multiple surfaces in 2025.
• Rome history: Won her first match here last year before falling to Sakkari—so the venue is not unfamiliar.
• Clay capability: Reached R4 at Roland-Garros in 2024, proving that her clean, flat hitting can be effective on clay with proper execution.
• 2025 warning signs: Early exits in Charleston, Rouen, and Madrid highlight a dip in belief and baseline authority.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a matchup defined by fluctuating confidence levels rather than standout form.

Tomljanović’s route through qualifying gives her the fresher feel and match sharpness. If she can keep her unforced error count low and avoid being rushed by Gracheva’s flatter pace, her athleticism and court coverage could shine through. However, she’ll need to avoid extended lapses—especially on a surface that demands point construction and patience.

Gracheva leads the head-to-head 4–0, with two recent matches going the distance. Her ability to redirect pace and stay low through the ball has historically given Tomljanović problems—especially on slower courts. But with confidence fragile and results lacking, Gracheva may not be able to execute her usual baseline precision under pressure.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Tomljanović in 3 sets. Qualifying rhythm, combined with Gracheva’s downward trend, could tip the scales for Ajla in a close, clay-grind battle.