Two flat, fast hitters meet in the second round, and the ball starts travelling from the very first exchange. Clara Tauson has already put a three-set match into her legs here; Ekaterina Alexandrova arrives with the extra day of recovery and a clean sheet of preparation.
Fresh legs against court time
Alexandrova's best recent tennis came against the biggest power on tour: she beat Aryna Sabalenka by standing close to the baseline, taking the ball early and redirecting pace rather than absorbing it. That is exactly the toolkit that turns a serve-plus-first-strike opponent into a rally player.
Tauson finished strongly against Renata Zarazua and clearly knows the bounce of these courts now, but the pattern of her recent weeks keeps repeating: a sluggish opening, then energy spent climbing back into the match. Her lateral movement remains the soft spot, and Alexandrova's cross-court angles are built to find it.
Where the second serve gets attacked
The match should hinge on the first three shots. If Alexandrova meets the big serve early and gets on top of the second delivery, Tauson is pulled into the corners she likes least.
The risk is familiar: Alexandrova has taken first sets off Elina Svitolina and Sara Bejlek only to lose her range afterwards, and Tauson has won both of their previous meetings, though those were indoors and years ago. At an almost level price, freshness tips it.
Prediction: Ekaterina Alexandrova to win, odds 1.97
