WTA Fantasy Tennis: Barbara Schett's picks for Rome
As the Race heads to Rome, Barbara Schett gives advice on who you should pick for The Porsche Race To Singapore Challenge.
BARBARA SCHETT'S ROME PICKS
Karolina Pliskova
“Karolina Pliskova’s tennis has really clicked on clay, I feel. She’s more patient, she’s reading the game better, and I think her movement on this surface has improved as well. After winning the title at Stuttgart she kept her form in quite different conditions at Madrid, so she’s confident.”
Petra Kvitova
“Petra Kvitova, after everything she’s been through, really impresses me. She won her home tournament in Prague, and kept that momentum into Madrid. She knows how to win big tournaments, and it seems now the belief is there, more than ever.”
Simona Halep
“Simona Halep is just hard to beat – she doesn’t give you anything. She’ll have had a few days to recover after Madrid, and although she lost a bit early there, overall I feel she could be peaking at the right time with Roland Garros just around the corner.”
Elina Svitolina
“Elina Svitolina has had her ups and downs this season, but she’s putting in the hard work. She doesn’t always get the attention that she should, but I think that works in her favor. Obviously the surface in Rome suits her and I’m interested to see how she goes defending her title.”
Looking to take a chance on your picks? Check out Barbara Schett's sleeper picks:
Sleeper Pick: Daria Kasatkina
“Daria Kasatkina is super-talented and plays with so much variety – I love watching her. Opponents have to be careful against her, because she’s so adaptable, which is a trait that really helps on clay.”
Sleeper Pick: Caroline Garcia
“Caroline Garcia has had such a fabulous rise, she’s not really an outsider! She’s a terrific athlete who can also beat anyone, so it’s about being consistent and backing up the big wins to take the next steps in her career.”
Sleeper Pick: Kiki Bertens
“Kiki Bertens always plays well heading into the French – she’s won the title at Nürnberg twice and of course has been a semifinalist at Roland Garros. We saw with her fantastic results at Charleston and Madrid that she can make life very uncomfortable for her opponents.”
Sleeper Pick: Jelena Ostapenko
“Jelena Ostapenko continues to show she can play fearless tennis, and when she gets on a roll she’s hard to stop. She’s not being talked about too much, but she is established in the Top 10 and will be keen to head to Paris with some great matches under her belt.”
To make your selections for Rome, and for more information about the Porsche Race to Singapore Challenge, click here.