Tatiana Caia Grant, ranked 234 and competing from Italy, faces Natalija Bartunkova on the clay courts of Rome. Grant has shown mixed recent form with three wins in her last five matches, including victories over Erika Jacquemot and Petra Udvardy, though she suffered a straight-set loss to Sorana Cîrstea. This will be the first career meeting between Grant and Bartunkova on the professional circuit.

Natalija Bartunkova, the Czech Republic's 94th-ranked player, arrives in Rome with inconsistent recent form, recording two wins and three losses across her last five matches. Bartunkova's recent victories came against Aleksandra Krueger and Katarzyna Kawa, but she fell to higher-ranked opponents including Anastasia Potapova and Aliaksandra Charaeva. The clay-court matchup against Grant represents an opportunity for Bartunkova to climb back into winning form, with no prior head-to-head record between the two players.