Wednesday's Iasi round of 16 pits Elina Avanesyan against Petra Marcinko on clay. Petra Marcinko comes in at 5 wins from the last ten. Elina Avanesyan is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (6 of the last 10).
This is the first career meeting between the two, which means no head-to-head baggage on either side of the net.
The serve is where this match separates: Marcinko has been winning 64.2% of first-serve points to Avanesyan's 57.6%, and on clay that gap compounds fast. Avanesyan comes in off a compressed schedule. The edge belongs to Marcinko — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.