If Serena Williams is going to build another winning streak, she could have to do it against one of the tour’s most formidable clay-court players in Sam Stosur.
The WTA singles draw for the Internazionali BNL D’Italia revealed that Williams could meet Stosur or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round after a bye. She could also meet her opponent in last year’s Rome final, Sara Errani, in the third round, and her opponent in last year’s Rome semifinal, Ana Ivanovic in the quarterfinals.
Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki are also in Williams’ half of the draw and could meet in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold. Victoria Azarenka is slated to face Wozniacki in the second round, however.
Williams, a three-time and two-time defending Rome champion, saw her 27-match winning streak snapped by Petra Kvitova in Madrid.
Kvitova, who claimed the Madrid title, could meet Francesca Schiavone or Karin Knapp in the second round after a bye, and could meet Jelena Jankovic in the third round. She would face Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold.
In the bottom section of the lower half, second-seeded Simona Halep would face Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold.
There are many enticing first-round matchups in Rome, including Venus Williams-Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber-Alize Cornet, Karolina Pliskova-Timea Bacsinszky, Elina Svitolina-Flavia Pennetta and more.