Alevtina Ibragimova and Leyre Romero Gormaz meet in the second round of WTA Antalya on September 9, 2026, at 10:30 UTC. The ranking points toward Romero Gormaz, but the contest looks much tighter once clay form and the miles already run in Antalya enter the frame.
Ibragimova finds depth; Romero Gormaz changes the picture
Ibragimova beat Julie Struplova 6-2, 7-6(2) in her opener, although nearly two hours and 20 minutes made it anything but a quick stretch of the legs. More revealing was her summer clay work: she pushed Paula Badosa through three sets and reached the Palermo semifinal by defending patiently, then turning rallies with depth, touch and timely movement forward.
Romero Gormaz survived Berfu Cengiz 6-7(8), 7-5, 7-6(6) in just over three hours before adding a doubles match to her workload. Her left-handed forehand and repeated drop shots can pull Ibragimova out of her preferred groove, but sustaining that variety becomes harder when the legs stop arriving early to the ball.
The longer the rally, the kinder the price
Ibragimova needs to return with depth through the middle, deny the first left-handed angle and make this physical without retreating too far behind the baseline. Her own turnaround is short, but Romero Gormaz has accumulated more court time and has recently struggled to preserve control through long matches. With Ibragimova’s clay level rising, the underdog price looks generous.
Prediction: Alevtina Ibragimova to win, odds 2.10
