🎾 WTA Eastbourne – Round 1 Preview Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs Kamilla Rakhimova

🎾 WTA Eastbourne – Round 1 Preview

Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs Kamilla Rakhimova

Momentum vs firepower clash in a battle of qualifiers finding form on the lawns.

🧠 Form & Context

Elisabetta Cocciaretto
🔥 Arrives hot after a semifinal run in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (wins over Pera & Lamens) and two qualifying victories here.
🌱 Grass is quietly her best surface in 2025 (5–1); low centre of gravity helps flatten the backhand and redirect pace.
⬇️ Still rebuilding after a rough hard-court swing that pushed her outside the Top 120.
🧮 Trails the H2H 0–1, losing a tight clay QF in Rabat 2024.

Kamilla Rakhimova
🔄 Streaky season (13–19) but picked up momentum in qualifying, dismissing Pera and Heather Watson in straights.
🌱 4–2 on grass this month; heavy forehand penetrates slick courts, yet second-serve remains a liability.
🇷🇺 Broke the Top 60 last year but confidence dipped after lopsided losses to top seeds (Sabalenka, Navarro).

🔍 Match Breakdown

Cocciaretto’s compact swing and willingness to move forward make her a natural on quick lawns. She’ll target Rakhimova’s vulnerable second serve and look to pin the Russian in the backhand corner, then finish with the inside-out forehand.

Rakhimova owns the heavier firepower and a slightly bigger first serve; if she lands >65% firsts and keeps rallies within four shots, she can dictate. The matchup may hinge on break-point efficiency—Cocciaretto converts 46% on grass this month, while Rakhimova hovers near 35%.

Both players logged qualifying miles, but Cocciaretto’s recent deep run suggests superior match toughness. If the Italian keeps her first-serve percentage above 60% and mixes in the slice to Rakhimova’s forehand, she should control tempo.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Cocciaretto in 3 sets
Tighter than the odds imply, but her variety and confidence edge her through.

📊 Tale of the Tape

• 2025 W/L: Cocciaretto 14–14 • Rakhimova 13–19
• Grass Record (2025): Cocciaretto 5–1 • Rakhimova 4–2
• Break Point Conversion (Grass): Cocciaretto 46% • Rakhimova 35%
• H2H: Rakhimova leads 1–0 (Rabat 2024, clay)