Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Rome match.
Mirra Andreeva made headlines in 2023 with her rapid rise into the top 100 and an astonishing level of maturity on court. One of her most dominant displays came at Roland Garros that year, where she dismantled Emiliana Arango (6:0, 6:2). Since then, the Russian has defeated Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina. It’s hard to imagine Arango posing any serious threat this time around either.
Emiliana Arango
The Colombian earned her place in the main draw via qualifying, but she didn’t face the toughest of opposition — Marina Stakusic, Leolia Jeanjean and Viktoriya Tomova. Despite clay being her preferred surface, Arango hasn’t managed to win two main-draw matches in a row across her last eight WTA 125-level events or higher. Moreover, she consistently loses to opponents ranked above her — currently 97th in the world — and often heavily. Losses to Julia Riera, Mayar Sherif, Anca Todoni, Irina-Camelia Begu, Leylah Fernandez, and Suzan Lamens all came with a margin of at least six games.
Mirra Andreeva
Andreeva, on the other hand, is enjoying a sensational 2025 season. Now firmly established in the world’s top 10, she’s already made a Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros last year and continues to thrive on clay. She’s won her opening match at six of the last eight WTA 1000 events on this surface. Although her recent loss to Coco Gauff in Madrid — where she led 5:4 and 40:15 in the opening set — was deeply disappointing, it’s likely to fuel her motivation in Rome.
Emiliana Arango vs Mirra Andreeva Prediction
The gap in quality between these two players is significant. Andreeva dominates all departments, and her left-handed forehand will particularly trouble Arango’s weak backhand side. Their previous meeting saw the Colombian take just two games — and with Andreeva in even better form now, a similar outcome is very much on the cards.
