Three opening-round matches you can't miss in Rome

The final big stop before we get to Roland Garros is here and it will be a fascinating tournament with many questions left about this clay-court season on the women’s side of things. With the conditions most similar to the second major of the season in Paris, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia will be full of intrigue with all the top stars in action.

Here are the three opening-round matches to keep an eye on for the women in Rome:

No other first round at this WTA Premier 5 event carries as much interest and intrigue as the battle between Azarenka and Osaka. Both players have played relatively limited schedules on the dirt, with Azarenka appearing in just her fourth tournament of the season after the birth of her first son Leo and an ensuing custody battle.

Neither Azarenka or Osaka have posted their best results on clay, however, former worl No. 1 Azarenka looked good last week in Madrid, pushing eventual semifinalist Karolina Pliskova to three sets in their meeting in the second round. The winner of this matchup faces current world No. 1 Simona Halep. With Azarenka’s experience, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 2013 runner-up in a blockbuster match against the Romanian in the second round at the Foro Italico.

Two powerful players are set to meet in the opening round in Rome and after Vandeweghe, never a clay-court player, showed she can play on the dirt with a final showing in Stuttgart, this match should be very interesting.

While Kontaveit possesses a big-hitting game, the rising Estonian star loves the dirt and made a run to the quarterfinals here last year and has backed it up in 2018, reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart. Vandeweghe, seeded 12th, has never enjoyed much success in the Italian capital and despite her strong run indoors in Stuttgart, the slower conditions of the Foro Italico could allow Kontaveit to come through.

While home favorite Schiavone may be past her French Open winning days, the charismatic Italian will still have the crowd on her side and will look to end her storied career with another win in Rome. The Italian veteran still possess the clay-court game to push the best and Dominika Cibulkova must be wary, but expect the feisty Cibulkova to come through despite her struggles the last year.

WTA action in Rome begins Monday with main-draw play kicking off at the Foro Italico.