WTA Rouen: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs Varvara Gracheva

WTA Rouen: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs Varvara Gracheva – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
🌱 Clay comfort zone: The young Spaniard thrives on clay, with a 141–68 career record on the surface. Her game style fits the dirt, and she has a calm, patient approach in longer rallies.
🔥 Upset win in R1: Kicked off her Rouen debut with an impressive three-set win over Maria Sakkari, coming back from a set down—arguably the biggest win of her career so far.
📈 Steady 2024 climb: After a 50-win season in 2024 and two main draw titles at lower-level events, she's building a case for consistent WTA-level contention.
✅ H2H confidence: Beat Gracheva last year in Cleveland in three sets—her only prior encounter against the Frenchwoman.

Varvara Gracheva
🇫🇷 Home-soil return: Born in Russia but now representing France, Gracheva has made a semifinal (2022) and round of 16 (2024) in her two previous appearances in Rouen.
🔁 Stop-start 2025: Her 7–10 season includes good wins over Kvitova and Dart, but she’s failed to string together back-to-back WTA wins since Indian Wells in early March.
🎾 Decent on clay: Her powerful baseline game can still find success on slower surfaces—she has 32 WTA main draw wins on clay, but her form remains unpredictable.
🧠 Inconsistency factor: Often follows big performances with letdowns, and was outplayed in their previous meeting despite winning the opening set.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a fascinating clash of emerging talent vs experienced but volatile firepower. Bouzas Maneiro showed composure and variety in her win over Sakkari—particularly impressive in tight moments. Her solid clay-court base, ability to extend rallies, and confidence from a prior win over Gracheva put her in a strong position here.

Gracheva, while more powerful, can be error-prone and inconsistent—especially on clay, where movement and shot tolerance are at a premium. She’ll need to hit through the court early and not allow Bouzas Maneiro to settle into long exchanges. However, if the match gets physical or goes the distance, the Spaniard has the edge.

🔮 Prediction

With a career-best win already under her belt this week and growing confidence on clay, Bouzas Maneiro could take full advantage of a beatable opponent in Gracheva.

WTA Rouen: Elina Svitolina vs Anhelina Kalinina

WTA Rouen: Elina Svitolina vs Anhelina Kalinina – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Elina Svitolina
🧱 Back in rhythm: Since returning to action in 2023, Svitolina has steadily rebuilt her form. She's 14–6 in 2025 and has already posted strong results in Indian Wells and Miami.
🎯 Solid start in Rouen: She kicked off her campaign with a routine win over Jil Teichmann, backing up her Billie Jean King Cup form from the previous weekend.
🌱 Experienced on clay: 142 career wins on clay, with a Roland Garros QF as recently as 2023 and a title in Strasbourg last year.
💪 Mentally strong record: Comes into this match with a commanding 3–0 head-to-head against Kalinina, including a recent straight-sets win at the US Open.

Anhelina Kalinina
🔁 Trying to find her groove: Kalinina reached the Rouen SF last year, but her 2025 season has been turbulent (8–10 overall, 1–1 on clay).
⚡ Up-and-down season: While she’s beaten players like Saville and McNally, losses to mid-tier opponents like Bronzetti and Parks show she hasn't found consistency.
🩹 Physical issues linger: Kalinina has battled various injuries in recent years, and while her baseline game is strong on clay, her fitness remains a concern in longer matches.
⚔️ Struggles vs Svitolina: Has taken just one set in three meetings, most recently losing 6-1, 6-2 at the 2024 US Open.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Svitolina is one of the most dependable players when it comes to structure, point construction, and mental toughness. While her recent titles have come on faster surfaces, her game—compact backhand, solid defense, and movement—translates well to clay.

Kalinina can pose a challenge with her topspin-heavy forehand and clay-court experience, but her recent form suggests she’s vulnerable, especially when asked to match a player with Svitolina’s defensive consistency and fitness level.

The Ukrainian No. 1 should be able to control the tempo here, force errors from Kalinina in longer rallies, and exploit her recent physical uncertainty. Expect a competitive start but a gradually widening gap as the match progresses.

🔮 Prediction

Kalinina might hold early, but Svitolina’s control and superior movement should eventually wear her down. Given the H2H history and surface form, this feels like another straight-sets result.