Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Rome match.
Elena Rybakina opens her Rome campaign against Germany’s Eva Lys, who cruised through her opening match against Moyuka Uchijima (6:1, 6:0). However, the Kazakh star represents a major step up in class — and comes into this year’s tournament as one of the leading title contenders. Her record in the Italian capital speaks volumes.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina is right at home on the courts of Rome, having lifted the trophy here in 2023 and winning 10 of her last 12 matches at the event. Her 2025 form has been just as impressive — she’s won 13 of her last 14 matches, routinely dispatching players outside the top 50. Notably, 10 of those 13 victories came in matches that stayed under the 19.5 games mark, showing just how dominant she’s been from the outset.
Eva Lys
Lys deserves credit for her dominant first-round performance, but Uchijima was clearly fatigued following a deep run in Madrid. The real test begins now, and against elite competition, Lys has struggled badly this season. She’s lost all four of her matches against top-20 players in 2025 — and all in lopsided fashion. On hard courts, she was swept aside by Iga Świątek (0:6, 1:6) and Jasmine Paolini (2:6, 5:7). On clay, she fell again to Paolini (2:6, 1:6) and to Jessica Pegula (2:6, 2:6).
Elena Rybakina vs Eva Lys Prediction
The gulf in class is stark. Lys has yet to prove she can push elite players, while Rybakina often cruises through the early rounds without wasting unnecessary energy. A comfortable win looks highly likely here.
