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Match details
Fixture: Sara Errani vs Ana Bogdan
Date: 18 May 2021
Tournament: Emilia-Romagna Open 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: $235,238
Match timing: Approx. 1 pm local time, 11 am GMT, 7 am EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Sara Erani vs Ana Bogdan preview
Sara Errani is set to open her 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open campaign with a first-round encounter against Romania's Ana Bogdan on Tuesday.
Errani - who was awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the tournament - has been struggling with her form over the last couple of years. The Italian did make a promising start to the 2021 season though, and will be hopeful of another big result at her home event.
Bogdan, meanwhile, had her breakthrough season in 2018. In addition to making it to the third round of the Australian Open, the Romanian also added a couple of WTA semifinals to her resume that year.
However, recurrent injuries have prevented Bogdan from maintaining her level since then.
The 28-year-old holds a 8-7 win-loss record in 2021, but has eked out some big wins - over the likes of Anastasija Sevastova, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova. The latter two victories came on clay, and would have given her some much-needed confidence.
Sara Errani vs Ana Bogdan head-to-head
This is set to be the first career meeting between Sara Errani and Ana Bogdan, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Sara Errani vs Ana Bogdan preview
The encounter will witness a clash of contrasting styles of tennis. While Ana Bogdan will look to take control of the baseline using her big groundstrokes, Sara Errani is likely to rely on her guile and variety to score points.
Errani - a former finalist at Roland Garros - has had her fair share of troubles over the last few seasons. Many of the issues plaguing her game stem from her serving woes, and against an aggressive returner like Bogdan, that shot could once again come under pressure.
Bogdan herself will need to make some adjustments to adapt to the slice and drop shots coming at her from the other side of the net. But if she can maintain a certain level of pressure in the return games and stay solid behind her groundstrokes, the Romanian might end up proving too strong for Errani.
Prediction: Ana Bogdan to win in three sets.
